


Hero's Journey

by Angry_Scotsman



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-02-01
Packaged: 2018-05-14 05:18:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 54,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5730856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angry_Scotsman/pseuds/Angry_Scotsman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I'm uploading this on a different site after many years, a lot of people have enjoyed this story so I thought I'd share it around, new readers please enjoy :)<br/>Another retelling of Ocarina of Time, with heavy focus on Link and Malon's relationship. Since I'm sure you're all familiar with what happens in the game, this is more focused on the characters. Before I got way too caught up in swordfights.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1: Time

'Link, you got it!'

The boy smiled as he broke into a run, his boots swishing through the long grass and onto the path. The girl's hair caught the last rays of the sun and flared a brilliant red as she passed through the ranch gateway to meet him.

'Can I see?' Her look of wide-eyed curiosity couldn't be denied, and he smiled as he dug the gleaming stone from his pack. Those wide eyes were reflected a hundred times in the precise facets of the Zora stone. She turned it over and over, staring into the depths, fascinated by the deep blue and gold chasing. Then she looked up and grinned.

'Does this mean it's finished? You got all the stones for the princess, does that mean you've saved the world?'

The boy smiled a weary smile, the same thought had occured to him. 'Yes, it means my quest is finally over. The princess will take care of everything and I can relax again.'

The girl clapped her hands at this, her eyes sparking with happiness. 'Does that mean you can come round more often? I'm sure dad won't mind if you want to help out!'

'Of course I will! You're my best friend, I'll be round so much you'll get sick of me.' The girl giggled at that, then frowned.

'But you've still got to give the stones to the Princess right? I mean, she's got to keep them safe.'

'Well, yeah, I've got to give them to her still, but that's all.' His body language betrayed how he felt about that, he was relieved that his quest was so nearly finished, that all the trials were behind him. This wasn't lost on the girl, and she pushed him down the path towards the castle, crouching at the bottom of the hill in the gathering darkness.

'Then you should get going, they'll be raising the drawbridge soon!'

The boy nodded and started jogging down the path. 'I'll come straight back!' he shouted over his shoulder, and caught a glimpse of the girl waving to him. His hand automatically weighed the precious pouch, making sure all the stones were still there, and he broke into a run down the path as a far-off flash of lightning illuminated the lurking castle walls.

\-----

He felt all wrong.

His body was strange to him, too large, too clumsy. It felt like pushing limbs through treacle, he was unused to the weight and size of his new muscles. He paused for a second at the door of the temple, leaning on the doorframe, and the feeling of rough stone under his fingers was the only familiar thing in the world.

'Link? Are you alright?' Navi was flitting back and forth in front of him, evidently concerned.

Link said nothing. For now he just pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to make sense of the world. The sage had told him that the world had ended, the Evil King ruled Hyrule, and it all lay on him to make things right. And who was the strange man who had ordered him to Kakariko? If the world had ended, did the village still stand? The questions flooded his mind and rather than dwell on them he pushed himself out the temple doors.

Only to be brought up short again. The whole world was different to the one he had been in only a few minutes ago. Not minutes...years... The thought crashed through the turmoil and again, rather than face the facts he sought to distract himself. The plaza was different. The flagstones were cracked, the pool dried up and the plants dead or withered. The very air was different, the light was dull and red and an acrid wind brought the smell of decay to his nose.

'Link...'

He turned at Navi's voice and his breath caught in his throat. Behind the temple, the peak of Death Mountain was visible, surrounded by a roiling ring of flames and belching smoke and ash. To the left, Hyrule Castle had been replaced by a forbidding tower of black stone.

'Navi, I don't think...' he stopped, almost choked by the strange voice coming from his throat. It was too deep, too unfamiliar. Everything had changed.

'Come on Link, we have to get out of here.' Navi's reassuring light flickered by the steps to the town square, and Link, his head in turmoil and fear, followed.

Link splashed up through the moat and onto the remains of the drawbridge, now even more shaken by the monsters that roamed the town. He took a few faltering steps into the field, then stopped and felt his jaw.

'My teeth feel weird.'

Navi paused, not quite knowing what to say. The state of the kingdom was a shock to both of them, and Link was evidently trying not to think about it. She tried to imagine what he was feeling, a ten year old mind suddenly thrust into a seventeen year old body, beset by doubt, hormones and responsibility. She decided to spur him on, having something to do would stop him from brooding.

'What did that strange man say? We need to go to Kakariko then to the forest...'

Lnik glanced to his left. The clouds over the village were lit by firelight from below, maybe the town was still inhabited after all.

'Yeah... yeah, we should go. Come on.'

Casting a rueful glance at the dark shape of the ranch on the hill, the boy and his fairy ran off into the night.


	2. Chapter 2: Earth

Link strode out of the forest, his mind buzzing. He was a Hylian, a war orphan trusted to the forest. Saria was revealed as the Forest Sage, his old friend had a duty of similar weight to his own. That made him feel better slightly, though he still wondered about his parents. He supposed he would never know anything about them, and felt a sharp pang of regret. Nothing about his life had been normal.

At least he had got used to his new body. The race in the graveyard had loosened him up, he had had to force his limbs through the stale air, gasping at the effort, until at last he had caught the spectre in front and been rewarded. More comfortable in his body, he had made for the Forest Temple and made use of the heavy sword on his back, learning to fight and dodge among the hedges where he had played as a child. The temple had made him focus his mind, solving puzzles and outwitting ghosts had calmed the storm of thoughts.

Overall, he felt as his boots found the grass of the field, he felt different to the confused boy who had stumbled out of the castle a few days before. More confident, not quite used to his new strength and agility, but not having to think about every movement was a definite bonus. A smile stretched across his face.

'What are you grinning at?'

'I don't know. We fought a monster, we've rescued a sage, I'm just optimistic.'

Navi frowned at him. 'You know it's only going to get harder, right? We can't just go rushing into temple after temple, you should take some time to rest.'

Link paused and shifted on his feet. The boots, though comfortable, were technically new and the constant running and climbing had rubbed his feet raw. Maybe it would be a good idea to relax, maybe someone in Kakariko would let him borrow a stretch of floor...

An idea surfaced, one which had been quietly building up since he had calmed his mind, and now he smiled at the thought of it.

'I know where we can go.' Navi frowned even harder, and he nodded ahead to where the ranch clung to the crest of the hill.

'Do you think that's a good idea? You can't just expect everything to be the same Link, it's been years...'

But her words fell on deaf ears as Link ran to the path.

\----

Link's spirits rose as he rounded the walls and the gateway came into view. The same tree cast its shadows over the path, the same place he had said goodbye to one of his best friends so abruptly all those years before. He wondered what Malon thought had happened to him.

Something was wrong... Familiarity had made him ignore the sign over the arch, but something had jarred with his memories and made him look again.

INGO RANCH

Navi caught up with him and followed his gaze to the sign. 'Ingo? The farmhand? What happened here?'

Link said nothing. He had been hoping that maybe somewhere had escaped the evil that lay over the land, but if such a place existed, it didn't look like it was here. 'This isn't right.' His fingers flexed as if to draw his sword, but he decided against it and walked through the gate as Navi darted to her usual hiding place under his hat.

Link peered round the corner. Everything looked the same, the buildings were all still there, maybe a little worse for wear, and he could make out horses in the far off corral. He frowned. Everything looked right, and yet...

It was the silence. The sun beat down, a breeze stirred the trees, and there were the gentle sounds of distant horses and small insects in the dry grass. It felt like a ghost town, deserted, lifeless.

He flitted round the corner, and, still pressed to the wall, edged to the door to the house. Locked. It had never been locked for as long as he could remember. A fly buzzed lazily across to the stables, and he followed it. This door was unlocked, and he eased it open as quietly as possible before slipping inside.

A glance told him that most of the stalls were unused, where cows and horses had stood and added their din to the bustling of the ranch, there was silence and some old straw. With his ears straining to breaking point, he caught a stifled sob. His body stiffened, and he peered round the corner to find he was not alone after all.

A young woman stood with her back to him, a shock of red hair falling to past her waist. Link only knew one person with hair like that, and he stepped out into the middle of the stable. 'Malon...?'

She stiffened as if in fear and turned, wiping her eye. 'I'm sorry, how can I help...you...'

Her voice trailed off into nothing as she recognised him, and she had to grasp the nearest beam for support. Link used the time to look at her closely, so much was the same but so much was different. She was wearing similar clothes to when he had last seen her, her hair was the same brilliant red, but so much was...different. She was taller, her body had changed, shaped and curved by hard work. Her face was similar but smoother, older, and currently lined with sadness. She still had her mother's scarf fastened round her neck, and had added a long pink skirt that clung to her hips. He shook himself. Of course she had changed, he had to keep reminding himself that what had passed in minutes for him had dragged by as years for everyone else. He took in the redness of her eyes where she had been crying, the fact that her eyes were themselves duller than he remembered, and wondered what had happened here in those years.

'Link...? Is that really you?' Her face broke into a rare smile that felt so unfamiliar. It had been a long time since she had had much to smile about. 'I don't know what to say! I can't believe you're here, you're ok! I know you said you'd be gone a long time, but I didn't think you meant this long, I had nearly given up...'

Link frowned. What was she talking about? He felt Navi stir from his hair, but there were more important things to worry about. 'It's so good to see you, I was worried that...' He stepped closer and now he had got over the happiness of seeing her again, there was time to notice the little details, worrying details. Her clothes were torn and neglected, her whole body was slumped, as if she had really given up on happiness, even the state of the stables was surprising. She had evidently been making an attempt to clean up, but the signs of disrepair still showed. She saw his frown and looked almost embarrassed by the condition of her home.

'Malon, what happened here?'

'It was Ingo,' she blurted out. 'A few years ago that man came, the evil man in the black armour...'

'Ganondorf came here? Why?' Link was surprised, evidently Navi shared the feeling, as she darted out from under his hat and flew round the stable as if expecting to find the evil King still lurking behind a post.

'I don't remember exactly, I was so scared... He said something about horses for his soldiers, and keeping the best for himself. Dad stood up to him of course, but he did..something to Ingo. He got so aggressive, acting like he was in charge... Eventually he just threw Dad out, but I had to stay, I couldn't abandon the horses Link, I couldn't, they were the only friends I had left...'

Link's stomach wrenched. That was all his fault. He had left her, her best friend had vanished, left her to the mercy of the cruelly changing world. Now she was here, with tears running down her pale skin and no fight left.

'This is my fault Malon...'

'No, don't say that. You had your journey to go on, I kow it was important. I just... I didn't think you'd be gone for so long.'

There it was again, something didn't match up. His last memory of her was shouting that he would be right back, and yet she was acting like she knew he had been about to disappear. There would be time to sort that out later, for now he needed to help his friend. He stepped forward again, to try and explain, but the words died in his mouth.

'What... happened there?'

Malon raised a hand to her cheek, and almost absent mindedly rubbed the light remains of a bruise.

'He hit you?'

'Ingo is... not good to us. It's been hard, Link.' She made an attempt at a smile, as if to suggest that the years of hardship and abuse were a minor matter, to be ignored and glossed over, but the pain welled up in her eyes and stirred a great rage in the man's chest. He wanted to stay, to talk with her, to explain, to make every possible excuse and promise, but the rage glued his teeth together and he could say nothing. Abruptly he spun on his heel and stormed from the stables, heedless of her anxious cries. Navi darted through the door as it swung shut and caught up to him.

'Link, what are you going to do?' She was nervous.

He didn't respond. His mind was beset with unfamiliar emotions, anger clouded his vision, all he wanted was to march up to the corrall and pound the life from the monster in charge. He quickened his pace, flexing his fingers. Maybe there was a better way to do it, to be subtle and solve the problem like one from the dungeons he had mastered, but this was not the detached problem of obtaining a key, this was personal and the rage boiled inside him and blotted out every other option.

'Link, listen to me!' seeing her protests pass right over his head once more, Navi simply flew straight into his face, blinding him and shocking him into slowing. 'What are you going to do, kill him?'

'Gladly.'

'You can't just go around killing people Link, some hero that would make you!'

'You saw the state she was in!' He kicked at a rock in impotent anger.

'Yes, and how do you think she's going to feel when her best friend murders someone in her home?'

He paused. 'Well...'

'It wont help!' The fairy interrupted him, wouldn't let him avoid her gaze. 'I'm telling you Link, we can work this out a better way! You were given a sword to fight evil, not to do it yourself!'

He glared at her. 'Alright, what do you propose?' His tone was mocking, measured. Navi had never seen him like this before. It didn't help that he still wasn't completely used to his new body, the anger he felt must be confusing him terribly.

'Let's talk to him. If I can get a decent look at him, maybe I can figure out what's been done to him and we can try and undo it.' A sneer touched his lips.

'And how are you going to do that?'

Navi crossed her arms. 'I am a fairy, in case you had forgotten. I do know a little bit about magic.'

Link had no answer to this. The conversation had cooled him down, but the anger hadn't subsided. Besides, her remarks about being a hero had been calculated perfectly to hurt his pride, and it had worked. 'Fine, we'll try your way.'

He strode towards the corrall, trying to appear nonchalant. The man by the gate had evidently heard the raised voices, or at least one of them, as he was looking their way. 'Ah, young sir! I thought I heard someone in need of some fun! Come here!'

As the man gabbled at him about horse riding and what fun it was and how he could try it for himself right here for a small fee, no bless you sir, just a small one, Link tried to keep his face calm. Ingo clearly didn't recognise him, indeed he was hardly recognisable himself. The man was still stick thin, dressed in the most ridiculous finery, but it was his face that was most disconcerting. The eyes were wild, staring, and didn't even seem to have agreed on a direction to point in. He felt Navi peeking out from under his hat, and knew she was seeing the same thing. As he agreed to pay for a period of riding, a drop of some liquid, too thick to be a tear, rolled lazily down from one of Ingo's eyes. He seemed not to notice. He pressed some rupees into the man's hand and entered the corrall.

'What do you think?' He whispered to Navi. He knew that he didn't have it in him to just attack this man, though the anger snapped like a whip inside him at the thought.

Navi poked her head out. 'It's obvious he's not himself. I think I know what it is.'

'Is he being controlled?'

'No, it's more subtle than that. Well,' she added as the memory of the unblinking, bloodshot eyes came back, 'it starts off more subtle. Think of it as a spell that enhances all the worst parts of a person and supresses the good parts. Every bitter thought, every injustice, would seem like the only thing in the world, and any reason or goodness would be ignored. Ideas that any normal person would reject with disgust become second nature. After a while, well, you saw him. It can destroy a person, that much negativity. I'm not surprised he's acting the way he is.'

'How do we break him out of it?' Link remembered the tear tracks on Malon's cheeks, and was half tempted to go back and just beat some sense into Ingo. Navi guessed what he was thinking.

'It wouldn't work like that. We'd need some way to infuriate him, bring him to breaking point, then when he's distracted...' She sighed. 'Well, maybe then you can knock him out. But how are we going to make him lose control?'

Link was smiling. He had been looking around the field and had found exactly what he was looking for. A huge chestnut coloured horse, easily taller than he was, was nibbling at the grass in front of them.

'I bet he loves money enough to gamble. I think I can see a way...'

\----

Hooves thundered, kicking up dust that lingered in the heat. Ingo whooped as he urged his horse on, but Epona had been raised well and looked after, and she ate up the track with ease. The horses raced for the gate, neck and neck, to start the second lap that would decide Epona's ownership. It was a mad gamble, and a madder dash, and as the buildings drew closer he saw that Malon had run outside to watch the race, her eyes shining with the old excitement and smiling fit to burst. She whooped and cheered for him as they passed the gatepost, he had a second to flash a grin at her, and in that second he saw her face quite clearly, as if time itself had allowed him this moment in which his stomach lurched in a way he had never experienced before. Then it was gone, forgotten as they entered the dust that swirled from their passing. The distraction had cost him a second, which Ingo used to move to the inside and try to cut him off. Link grimaced and wrenched Epona in the same direction. She had the speed and power in this race, but that would do no good if she was cut off, so he pulled her closer to the flashing fence, raised himself in the saddle and leaned, and Epona seemed to understand exactly what he wanted of her and found a burst of speed that forced her massive weight into the gap and made Ingo's horse stumble and rear away. Malon's scream of delight jarred with Ingo's shriek of rage as Epona pulled ahead and Link, riding as close to the fence as he dared, thundered across the line a full scond in front.

Link slid off the horse, blowing from her exertions, and patted her flank. He turned to Ingo, who had dismounted by the farm gate and looked quite mad. His eyes were glaring, sightless with fury, he shouted at Malon to get inside, that she would pay for that display, that she was as bad as her worthless father for not obeying him, the rightful master of the farm, but she stood proud, tears shining in her eyes.

'And YOU!' He screeched, rounding on Link! 'You came here to steal my horses, to ruin my ranch! That horse was a gift for the great Ganondorf, how dare you try and steal it!'

Suddenly he calmed, and wiped the froth from his lips. 'You can't have her, you know. You just can't. If you can't leave, you can't take her with you!' He swung the gate shut with a clang and scrabbled at the heavy padlock. Link raised an eyebrow at it. The gate was low, there was no way it would keep him out, especially not riding Epona.

But escape was the furthest thing from his mind. Navi was urging him on, convinced that if he was to knock Ingo out now, when he had lost his mind, it would somehow reverse the spell. Link wasn't sure how she thought that would work, but then again he hardly needed an excuse, and he spun the man round and rammed an angry fist into his stomach. Ingo doubled over, winded, and Link lifted his knee to connect with the glaring head on is way down. The smaller man went over backwards, out like a pinched candle, and sprawled on the grass. Navi followed his head down and peered into the eyes that now stared oddly peacefully at the sky.

Malon lowered her hands from her mouth and ran, her skirt rustling through the grass. She came up behind Link and touched him lightly on the shoulder as she looked down on Ingo, unaware that her gentle touch had sent a shock through Link's body, his stomach twisted itself as though filled with snakes, and he honestly didn't understand why.

Navi smiled. 'Look, the darkness is going from his eyes. When he wakes up... well, he might not be his old charming self, but he won't be the same as we just saw. That was maybe a little more force than was needed, but well done.'

Malon's eyes were wide. 'How did you know that would work?'

Navi looked a little put out, and was about to admit she had absolutely no idea it was going to work and was astonished that it had, but Link stepped in to explain that she was a fairy, she knew about this sort of thing. She mouthed a thank you and got a wink in return.

Malon turned on Link, her eyes shining again. 'You saved me Link! I can't believe it! You come out of nowhere after all these years and suddenly we're free!' She was thinking, as always, not just of herself but the horses she cared for and loved like family, and Link mumbled that it was no problem. He was finding it hard to look her in the eye, for some reason the sight of his old friend caused the strange feeling in his stomach to intensify.

'Seriously, Link. You have no idea what it was like, the shouting, the abuse, day after day... Thank you.' She smiled and, as Link awkwardly tried to reply, leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

'We should go and find Dad! He's been living in Kakariko, I've got a few letters from him, we should go there and tell him the good news! The ranch is ours again, all thanks to you!' She skipped ahead, giving voice to her musical laugh for the first time in a long while, completely unaware of the explosion of emotions she had set off in Link's head.

So many feelings, soaring and wrapping round each other and exploding, every single one of them totally unfamiliar, frightening in their intensity. He had no explanation for any of it, not for the odd yearning he felt when he looked at her, nor for the wrenching in his gut that was so dizzying but not unwelcome. There was simply no reason why his old friend had stirred all this up inside him, friendship didn't feel this way...

Navi noticed. She saw the way he was gazing at the girl who was fiddling with the huge padlock on the gate, and she smiled. She knew well what friendship could become.

There was a heavy click as Malon undid the clasp, and then she laughed again as she pulled it from its seating and threw it underarm into the bushes. The sound sent chills running along every nerve in Link's body. 'Don't need that anymore!' Her smile faded slightly as she looked on Ingo again. 'Will he be ok?' and Link marvelled at how she could feel concern for him after everything he had done.

'He'll be fine.' Navi had butted in to save the confused boy from attempting speech. 'He'll be perfectly comfortable until he wakes up, and I doubt he'll come back an angry man, so we can leave him for a little while.'

'Good. I just did all my chores, so the animals will manage fine on their own for a while too. Come on Link!' She grabbed his hand, he managed to find his feet enough not to fall, and they were running as they had so many times as children, laughing and stumbling beneath the sun. When they reached Epona's side some instinct of gallantry made Link offer to help Malon into the saddle, and he did, clumsily letting her step in his hands, noting the feel of her leg as it brushed againt his face, and that only confused him more. She was his friend, and thinking about that was surely some gross intrusion of privacy, and he added shame to the whirl of emotions in his head. As they spurred onto the field, Malon's arms wrapped tight around his chest, he hoped he could get his thoughts in order later.

\----

Link stood by the tree in Kakariko, his arm and shoulder aching from where Talon had been alternately shaking his hand and slapping his back for the last half an hour. A small crowd had turned out to see what was going on, Malon and Talon's enthusiastic greeting was a small spectacle none of the villagefolk had seen in a long time, something to remind them of happiness and peace from days long gone. He had hung back awkwardly, not wanting to intrude on the family happiness, but Talon had dragged him forward, pumped his arm, caught him a ringing slap on the back and thanked him effusively at least twenty times now. Link was lost, he felt embarrassed and awkward, but the praise pleased him and he smiled shyly as Talon addressed the villagers who had gathered round. He spoke happily of how Link had saved his daughter, saved their home, and many other things aside. He repeated himself, lost the thread, and stumbled over long words but his excitement was infectious and the villagers began to hope. Link was feeling increasingly awkward, and Malon noticed and stepped in to save him.

'Dad! I think that's enough for now!' She smiled that oh so confusing smile and her father finally let the crowd disperse as Link tried to rub some feeling into his arm. He was suddenly bone tired, his feet still ached from earlier, aches and pains from the forest temple were choosing this moment to make themselves known, so he was content to stand by a tree on a fine evening and watch as the girl and her father embraced again. The air had that strange, translucent quality of a summer evening, everything seemed in sharp relief, and he lost himself gazing around and taking in the sunset.

'Link! Link my boy!' Talon's shout snapped him out of his reverie, and he looked for them and saw, once again, the sun's last rays gleaming on brilliant red hair. Talon was overflowing with happiness and excitement, his moustache bristled and called for him again.

'Link! Haha, fine young lad you've become! The offer to marry my daughter still stands!' There was a twinkle in his eye as he said it, and Link was saved from gaping for a reply by Malon swatting her father on the back of his head. 'Dad! Really!' She smiled at Link as if to apologise, and it cut right through him.

'Come then! You must stay the night and rest, we'll go back to the ranch in the morning! Come, have some food and tell me all about your adventures again!' He practically dragged Link into the house in the village square, and the door closed on the first hint of dusk.

\--

Link trudged up the trail to Death Mountain in silence, remembering that the strange man in the forest clearing had spoken of the mountain of fire. The ring of flames didn't look as threatening in the midday light, and he guessed that the Gorons were safe in their city and would be willing to offer him help and directions.

'You're awfully quiet.' Navi sounded amused.

'What? What am I going to talk about, the scenery? It's not very exciting around here.'

'Oh I'm sure there's something troubling you.' Link glowered at the fairy, who was flying along with her arms crossed and a painfully smug expression. In truth he still hadn't sorted the muddle of emotions in his head. Though he was settling into the body and mindset of a seventeen year old, he was perfectly aware of his total lack of experience in life, and his young mind was being assailed with unexpected hormones and thoughts that he didn't know how to handle. He told himself he was just happy to see his old friends alive and well, but this was a feeling unlike any happiness he had ever known, and rather than trying to make sense of it he was focusing on his quest.

'You were awfully quiet this morning.' Navi kept making innocent remarks, trying to goad him into talking. In truth he had been saddened to part with Malon and Talon so soon after finding them again, but he had a quest to undertake and they had a home to rebuild. He was worried, too by Malon. She had been quiet over breakfast, not that anyone could get a word past Talon anyway, but she had seemed nervous for some reason. He couldn't think why, they were best friends, they could tell each other anything. He promised himself he would go back to the ranch as soon as possible and help with whatever was troubling her. That seemed an appropriately heroic thing to do, and it cheered him enough to talk.

'I was tired.'

Navi smirked. 'Sure'.

'What's that supposed to mean?'

'I'm not stupid, Link.'

'Oh, shut up.


	3. Chapter 3: Fire

Sweat prickled his back where it met his tunic, sweat sprung from the heat and the fear and the effort, and the itching distracted him for one crucial moment.

'Link!' Navi screamed at him over the roar of flames, he glanced up and cursed as he was forced to throw himself sideways to avoid a falling boulder.

'Are you alright?' the fairy was frantic and he scrambled to his feet, wondering why on earth he had been thinking about an itch at this point in time, and what kind of mind would notice something like that in a fight. He scanned the roof of the cavern before ducking back behind the boulder.

'I'm fine, but I don't think we're going to last much long-'

His words were cut off as a jet of flames, almost white hot, crashed against the scant cover like a wave. He put his arms over his head and curled up, sweat dripping from his face, as if he could hide from the intense heat either side. He felt blisters forming on the outside of his arms, he yelled, and just as he was sure his hair was about to ignite the stream stopped and there was a roar as the long, sinuous body of the dragon shot past not three feet overhead. He rolled sideways, feeling suddenly cool even though the air could have roasted a cucco. The boulder had been reduced to a heap of molten slag, and he tried not to think about what would have happened if the flames had lasted a second longer. He scrambled over the loose rocks and his fingers closed on the reassuringly solid handle of the hammer.

The dragon was twisting madly around the roof of the cavern, spewing flames in pain and rage. It had been hiding in the ground itself, time and again it had burst through the lava to attack, but Link had been ready and time and again the hammer had swung down, crunching on bone and flesh to drive it back down, until it had abandoned the hopeless tactic and flew free, soaring in from afar to try and destroy him as it passed. He glared at it, crouching, the hammer held low. He was at the end of his strength, but he knew the dragon was hurt and he steeled himself to wait until it slipped up and he could strike.

Navi used the pause to try and say something, but he wouldn't be distracted again and kept waiting, his face grim, shifting his weight from foot to foot, until at last the monster gathered itself, bunched, and screamed down at him out of the dark. It was going fast, too fast to cover the platform in fire, and he knew it was trying for a single, lightning quick attack that would smear him against the ground. He stood still, hefting the hammer, and it was coming so fast the air seemed to ignite behind it, his eyes darted, waiting for the perfect moment, then the beast's jaw moved, he leapt aside and Navi screamed as the flames raced across the ground, so hot they didn't melt the rock as much as smash it aside and gouge a long furrow. Link felt the heat, felt the pain as the boiling air enveloped his side, but the flames hadn't touched him, he was safe, and the dragon was coming so fast it couldn't jerk away in time. Link spread his feet, gripped the handle and swung the hammer sideways in a crushing blow, and the dragon didn't even have time to screech one last time before it plowed head-on into the solid chunk of metal that pulverised its skull and flung its soul to the underworld for a second time.

Link was spun round by the impact, he let go of the hammer and dropped to the ground, hugging the rubble as the long body swept past, coils thrashing in death throes, and he pulled himself as flat as possible. The ground in front of him was smashed by a flaling section of muscle, one of the monster's rear legs raked his back, tearing his tunic and drawing blood, then it was gone, the obscene mess sliding over the arena until it tumbled, broken into the lava. The tail whipped the air one last time as it fell, then was gone.

The hero stayed where he was, face pressed to the rock. It was oddly comfortable, and he rested for a few moments, ignoring the pain that rippled along his arms, relishing the peace.

'Hey! Link!'

He groaned and pushed himself up, grimaced as pain flared along his back, and knelt. Navi was grinning, dashing back and forth through the thick air. A patch of rock was glowing so blue it was burning white at the brightest points.

'That's our way out! We rescued another sage! Well done!'

He smiled wearily and brushed small stones from his front.

'Are you alright?' Her elation gave way to concern as she noticed the careful way he rose to his feet.

'I'll be fine.' He dragged the hammer from the ground, pressed a hand to the burn on the arm that had been nearest the dragon's last attack, and he hissed through his teeth as he realised how bad it looked. He picked the cloth of his shirt away from the angry skin and stumped toward the light.

'You should really get that looked at,' Navi chided him, and followed him to the Chamber of the Sages.

\----

Link dragged his feet slightly through the grass. He had returned to the village in the early evening, collapsed on a rented bed and slept for a solid twelve hours. He had shopped for supplies in the morning, refilled his equipment, rested and chatted to a few of the villagers, and set off into the field. He needed a day or two to recover and let his wounds close, and he knew where he preferred to spend that time.

As the ranch drew closer, however, a knot in his stomach tightened, one he had almost forgotten about in the past days, and he wondered how Malon would greet him. She had seemed quiet when they had parted, and he was amply aware of the strange feelings that writhed in his body when he thought of her. Her figure had lurked at the back of his mind, and he recalled that feeling of her leg brushing his face, what felt like a hundred years ago. He had felt shame, and anger at himself, for thinking about her in such an unfamiliar way, but the feeling was good, it was hot in his chest and he had guiltily recalled the memory a few times since.

The gate was plainly visible now, and he slowed his pace a bit. It wasn't that he didn't want to see her again, quite the opposite, but his body still reacted strangely to her presence and he was nervous. Maybe he was allergic, and the thought made him laugh out loud as he strode through the gate.

It was approaching early afternoon, and the sun was brilliant above. Things looked the same as the last time he had been here, but now there were sounds of horses neighing and chasing each other round the field, and he caught the vague noise of Talon laughing at something. He looked round as he reached the open field beyond the buildings, wondering idly what had happened to Ingo, then started as the man himself swung round the corner. He was back in his old work clothes, a broad smile on his face, even if he looked a little vacant, and he welcomed Link enthusiactically, shaking his hand, grovelling and smiling, and the boy was just thankful that he still wasn't recognised. They watched him wander off to the stables and Link scratched his head.

'Well I certainly didn't expect...that.' Navi looked as nonplussed as he was feeling.

'I did tell you that he might wake up different. Maybe he's just reinforcing everything positive now?' and they laughed together.

'Link!'

A musical voice, and he turned to see Malon leaving the house, a smile stretched across her face, and his stomach exploded into a nest of snakes.

'Hey!' she ran across to him, and was about to fling her arms round him when she noticed the bandage on his arm. 'Are you ok?'

'I'm fine, it's just a burn.' He smiled, trying to sound brave, and then wondered if she would be impressed by the cuts on his back.

'What were you doing to get a burn this big? Something more exciting than a knocked kettle, I hope,' and her eyes had the same twinkle as her father's.

'Oh, just... up the mountain,' and he shrugged noncommitally, as if he had been looking for interesting rocks, but she wasn't fooled. She had heard the thunder the previous night, run out to see the flames round the mountain flare and writhe, and finally extinguish themselves in a flash that had lit up the evening for miles around, and she had remembered the vague way the boy had spoken of his quest and his plans on the night they had spent in Kakariko. She wasn't stupid, and the connection was clear.

'Did you... kill the dragon everyone was talking about?' The admiration was clear on her face, and her attention embarrassed him so he lowered his head. He wasn't sure why he was trying not to take any credit, but he didn't want to boast, he was content to let her think what she wanted. He had wanted so much to speak to her again, but now he was here it was as if his tongue had fallen asleep.

She took his arm gently, and looked it over, frowning.

'Who on earth did this bandage?'

He blinked. 'Uh, Anju did it for me when I got back to the village.'

She cocked an eyebrow at him. 'Mm-hmm. I bet she did.'

'She was very insistent.'

'Well she made a rubbish job of it,' she said with a smile, then looked some more and tutted. 'I always told her she was bad at this sort of thing, but at least she tries. Come on, I'll patch you up.' and she led him into the house. 'And maybe you can tell me what you actually do with your time while I'm at it.'

\----

It was pleasantly cool in the house. Link sat at the table, straddling a backwards chair with his arm freshly wrapped in bandages. Malon had applied a thick salve that he had wrinkled his nose at, but it seemed to be doing some good as his arm itched horribly. He smiled at that, thinking of the itch that had nearly cost him his life, then winced. Malon tutted at him, then bent to her task again. She had noticed how he had grimaced when his back moved, and had demanded to see the wounds. Now Link was sitting with his shirt off, horribly embarassed, as she cleaned and stitched the cuts. He had been shy at first, but he trusted her to nurse him, she had done it often enough seven years ago when they had collected scrapes from playing, or when he had been hurt in fighting, and now he was enjoying the way her hands lightly brushed his bare skin.

Malon was trying not to show it, but she was slightly embarassed too. She had only been thinking of stitching him up, but when he had sheepishly removed his shirt to reveal a muscled chest and back, something had stirred inside her, and she had busied herself with needle and thread to hide her blush. She hadn't really thought about it before, last time they had met the shock of seeing him again and the excitement of what followed had driven it from her head, but over the meal and through the night she had had ample time to think about her old friend. Her thoughts had wandered from memories of childhood to dwelling on his current appearance, and she had grudgingly allowed that yes, now he was rather handsome, and the thought had made her awkward over breakfast. She regretted that, and was now hiding behind a motherly approach, as if she could keep herself from thinking of him as more than a friend.

'There.' She tugged the thread lightly, and he winced. ''you weren't cut too deeply, they should close up within a few days. Though you really should have had that done sooner.'

'Would you have let Anju do it?' He asked with a smile, and she felt a slight inexplicable stab of irritation at her name.

'Well, on second thoughts, maybe it was better you waited to see me. She would probably have stitched your arms together by accident.' She was businesslike, packing her tools away, and Link shrugged his shirt back on, testing how far he could stretch his back.

'Thanks Malon. You're good at that.'

She cuffed him lightly on the back of the head. 'I'm good at other things too, you know.' She had meant riding, and looking after animals, and all the skills of her trade, but she realised how it had sounded and blushed furiously. Luckily the words flew right over Link's head.

'Here,' she pushed a bottle of milk into his hands, and sat down. 'That'll make you feel better.'

He took a swig, and they sat in silence for a moment. Link fretted silently, he had always found talking to her easy when he was a child, the words had come easily, but now he was frantically casting around for something to say. She beat him to it.

'So... this new quest. Freeing the Sages, you said? That sounds... responsible. Where do you have to go next?'

He thought about the words of the strange man who seemed to be following him. He had said he was Sheikah, but there was something about him...

'I think I have to go to Lake Hylia now. He said one of them was trapped under the lake, though Goddess knows how I'm going to get down there.' He shrugged as if it was a minor problem.

'It might not be as hard as you think, the Lake has been drying up slowly for years. It's sad really...' and her voice dwindled.

'Maybe the Zora can help.'

'Maybe, though no one has heard from them for a while.'

They sat some more. Malon scratched at a knot in the tabletop, and Link eased his arm straight. He was feeling increasingly awkward, angry at himself for having nothing to say, and he glanced up at the girl. She was intent on the knot in the wood, and as he looked at her that guilty memory came to the fore again, and with it he started to appreciate her features, her lively eyes, the way her hair shone, and then he realised he was staring and saw the beginnings of a blush on her cheeks, and was about to stammer something when Talon's voice called, loud and hearty, from outside.

She jerked upright. 'Damn, I forgot I was in the middle of my chores, he'll be wondering where I got to.' She rose from the table and Link made to follow her. 'No, you stay and rest. I'll let dad know you're here, and when you can move more easily he'll probably get you to help with something. Sorry.' And she smiled at him again. 'You should stay for a few days. Make sure you're working properly before going swimming.' Though truthfully, she just wanted him around. She was annoyed at herself for having nothing to talk about, and she hoped that maybe if he stayed longer they could have more chances to talk.

\----

He stayed that night, Talon was glad to see him and there was a spare room, and he wanted to be around in case he got another chance to speak to Malon alone. Ingo had transformed into the soul of helpfulness, and when Link had taken a slow walk around the farm he had been accompanied by the farmhand, who had gabbled at him about how lucky he was to have a place to live, and the chance to do hard work, and he supressed a smile. The ranch was recovering quickly from the hardship, Talon had turned over a new leaf and was working himself to the bone every day, Ingo was more than willing to help, and they had repaired much of the damage. He had gone to the field to see Epona, and had whiled away the time with her. Malon had gone past once or twice, and they had shared shy smiles, but she had things to do and never stopped to talk.

He had idly stroked the horse's nose, fed her a treat when he was sure no one was looking, and all the time his mind ticked over. Navi had pestered him, but he had been thinking of Malon, and was considering asking if she wanted to ride somewhere, so maybe he could help her up and steal another feel of her thigh and a few hours of her time.

They ate well that night, the food was rich and the company good, and he had laughed with the men's stories as Malon had rolled her eyes to the ceiling. They had shared a brief goodnight conversation, and Link had slept like a log again.

It felt as though he slept late, though really everyone else just got up early, and his arm was looser, and he asked if he could make himself useful. He had grabbed a small lunch, and mended a fence. The work was simple and he enjoyed it, and didn't notice when Navi had vanished. The fairy had been talking with the others, and Malon pressed her for details of their adventures so far, and listened with shining eyes as the fairy painted pictures of swordfights with skeleton warriors, ghosts in the darkness, flaming pits and firey creatures, and the monsters they had faced, a spectre on horseback and a monstrous dragon. She kept pressing, and Navi loved to talk, and she described how Link had played a deadly game with lightning, cut at the stave of the ghost as it desperately defended itself, and faced down a racing dragon.

Malon loved the stories, listened with bated breath as she milked cows and fed horses, and she imagined the adventures in vivid detail. She looked at the figure in the distance, bent over the fence, and marvelled to think what he had achieved. Her admiration grew and she posed a question.

'Why didn't he tell me any of this? The way he talked about it, he wandered up the mountain, nothing much happened, and he strolled back down. I had no idea what you were up to!'

'I suppose he didn't want to worry you.' Malon frowned at that. Why would he think that? Why was he worried about her?

'I find it odd, actually, now that I think about it... He's clearly brave, he's done all those things, fought all those monsters... but he doesn't act brave. He seems so... nervous.'

Navi smirked to herself. Of course he did. Link had faced down skeletons with burning eye sockets without blinking, but Malon made him draw up inside himself and go quiet. She felt bad, suddenly. It was painfully obvious to her what the matter was, but she wasn't about to ruin the situation for him. Some things, she couldn't help him with.

'He's just tired. Don't worry about him, I'm sure he'll open up eventually.'

Malon nodded, seemingly satisfied, and Navi floated away to chase flies, pleased with herself. The girl was beautiful, that much was plain, and if Link wasn't going to impress her with his deeds, Navi would damn well do it for him.

Link was standing by the fence, pleased with his handiwork. He bent to tug at a piece of twine, and sensed someone approaching. He let them come, and then felt a hand on his shoulder.

'It looks good. Maybe when you're done fighting, you can go into fences instead.'

'I'm already good at fencing.' It was a clumsy joke, but she laughed.

'I've finished my chores, do you want to go for a walk, or...?' She felt incredibly brave asking him, and was relieved when he agreed eagerly. They walked round the wall, sometimes stopping when a horse came near, meandering slowly past the house, down onto the field. The air was still and fresh, small insects chased each other in the grass and a firefly lit up in the tree. Malon sat on the hillside, not far from the saftey of the ranch, but in an open space, and Link eased down next to her. They had chatted easily enough before, but now that cursed silence fell and rather than endure it again he plucked a bright flower from the grass, his strong fingers easily snapping the stem, and held it out to her. She smiled.

'What's this for?'

'I... thought you might like it.' He felt lumpish, but she took it and wove it into her hair, and smiled her thanks. He was struck more than ever by her looks, a word came easily to mind he never thought he would use, she was beautiful, and it embarassed him to think it. She stared ahead, listening to the chirping of an insect in the grass, and he followed the line of her gaze to the dark tower that was visible even at this distance. Link had never given it much thought, had avoided the knowledge that one day, if he survived, he would have to fight his way up through the forbidding structure, and he sought to make the idea less frightening.

'What do you think he does all day?' and she looked round, puzzled. 'The Dark King. what does he do up there?'

She thought for a moment. 'He dances.'

That was unexpected enough to make him pause. 'Dances?'

'I don't know about you, but if I had all the power in the world, I'd spend my time dancing, and no one could tell me to stop.' She laughed, a gust shook her hair, and he looked at her in the failing light, her face so smooth, the flower in her hair stark white against the red, and he was suddenly overcome with longing. He wanted to be closer to her, and shuffled nearer. She was sitting on her ankles, her legs to the side, and he allowed himself a quick glance that took in the curves of her body. Goddess, she was beautiful, and now he realised it those strange feelings that had been writhing inside him this whole time began to make sense. He sought to say something, maybe tell her she looked nice, but he was afraid he would blurt out the wrong thing, and stayed silent.

Another breeze stirred the grass, and she moved. 'It's getting dark, we should head back. I'm sure dad will try and cook by himself, and I'd rather not poison you after I spent so long patching you up.' He nodded dumbly and stood, offered his good hand and pulled her to her feet, feeling gallant.

'Thank you!' She grinned at him. 'My very own hero. Wait til I tell my friends!' He smiled and they stood there for a moment, searching each other's eyes. She was so close, one of those feelings was telling him it would be so good be closer, but he was inexplicably scared, and did nothing.

Navi interrupted, buzzing over the walls and shouting at them, and they broke apart, embarassed.

'Talon's trying to cook, you've got to save us!'

Malon rolled her eyes.

'Does she even eat?' she glanced into his eyes for a second, then hurried off to the ranch so he wouldn't see her blush.

Link followed slowly, and Navi met him halfway. He glowered at her.

'What's wrong with you?'

He pinched his nose and screwed his eyes up, trying to commit the lost moment to memory.

'Just... you are so annoying, you know that?'

\----

He left the next morning. Talon and Ingo had said their goodbyes after breakfast and gone to their work, but Malon had stayed behind. She wanted to apologize for the previous evening, but couldn't find the words, and again she was quiet. She had stayed awake long into the night, replaying that moment over and over again, and every time she had done something different, done anything, but in reality she had done nothing and she cursed herself for it.

The morning was cool, the sun hid behind clinging mist, and it struck her that this was not the weather for goodbyes. She knew the dangers he faced, Navi had said there would probably only be worse to come, and with a pang she wondered if she would see him again. That worry had to stay down, and she accompanied him to the gate.

'I made you some food.' her voice was small, deadened by the mist. He took the bag gratefully.

'Thank you.' He didn't know what to say, They hadn't talked much since last evening, and he wanted to tell her that he wished he had done something different, but he was scared she might be offended. He decided he would talk about it if she brought it up, but she didn't, and he wondered if she was ashamed, and that thought saddened him. He didn't want to leave, to walk away into the mist, but he had a duty to the kingdom. His arm was still a little stiff, but healing well and Navi was insistent that they press on.

They shared an awkward goodbye, and he turned down the hill, hating himself. She looked so small, almost lost. Why was he leaving when he had just started sorting out his feelings for her? He took a few more steps, then she called to him.

'Link..?'

He looked back and she was gazing almost wistfully at the spot they had stood the previous night. Then she looked him straight in the eye.

'Come back.'

'I will.'

She smiled, a smile of genuine pleasure, and her beauty warmed him to the core, his chest swelled and felt as if it was growling. Days later, when he was pressed against a freezing wall, ice crystals crumbling and covering his hair and clothes, the memory of that smile warmed his bones.


	4. Chapter 4: Water

Link stared glumly at the patch of water in front of him. The chamber was small, holding only a chest and a hole in the floor. The hole was filled with water, and he guessed there was a current underneath as every so often the surface would shudder and a small wave would lap across the floor. He sighed, and sat back on the lid of the chest. The wood was old, nearly rotten from the damp air, but it was comfortable and he didn't mind that it was damp. Why would he mind, he had been soaked through for hours, plunging in and out of the water recklessly, trusting to his tunic to keep him breathing. He wondered how it worked.

'Magic, Link. Nothing strange about it.' Navi had reassured him, and he had given up thinking about it. It let him explore the temple hidden under the lake, and he was now utterly sick of being immersed and, rather than face the prospect of delving again into the darkness he was taking a break. He examined the new Hookshot he had fished out of the chest, it was larger, had a more solid hook, and was wrapped around with twice the length of chain. It had better come in useful, he thought bitterly. He was still shaken by the fight which had won him this prize, against a shadowy version of himself. The creatue had matched his movements perfectly, and they had circled each other, the swords had rang, and then as he was getting more and more irritated it had begun to attack of its own accord. It had been pure luck that had let him snake past the doppleganger's defences and he was aching all over. Swordfighting was hard work, and the Master Sword was long and heavy. The memory of the dispassionate gaze from across the swords made him shiver. The knowledge that he would again have to sink into the cold water didn't help his mood either.

'Maybe we should stay a little longer.' Navi was exhausted too. She had been hiding under Link's hat when he was underwater, somehow it kept the water out and she had hated not being able to help. Her nerves were completely frayed and sensing a chance to rest, she was eager to take it. She was lying on top of the boy's head, stretched out on his hat. The material was saturated with water, but she didn't care. She wondered if either of them would feel dry again.

'What we should do is get out of this stupid place.' Link grumbled, but he knew the only way out was forward and down. He wondred if Ruto was down there somewhere, or if she was even doing anything to help. They had run into the Zora earlier and she had greeted them haughtily, reminded Link that they were technically engaged still, and he felt guilty as he realised he had completely forgotten. He wondered if there was any polite way out of it, then grimaced at the floor. He had had enough of water and damp air to last him ten lifetimes. He didn't like fish much either. He made a face, and thought about something much more appealling, living in the sunshine on solid ground, and his thoughts naturally strayed to the ranch he had left almost a week before. He thought about the girl that worked there, her features came into sharp relief in his mind, then he cursed at the memory that he had been so close to her and done nothing. Navi heard the muttered imprecation and stirred.

'Did you say something?'

Link was morose, and felt like talking.

'I was just wishing I was more confident.'

The fairy frowned, and climbed around so she could stare down at him through his fringe.

'What do you mean? I've never known anyone braver than you.' She began reeling off a list of his accomplishments as a hero, but he interrupted her.

'I didn't mean like that, I meant...' he struggled for the words, 'like, with people. Some hero I'll make if I can't even talk to people.' It was a feeble attempt to redirect the conversation, and Navi frowned at him. She knew exactly what he was talking about, she had seen them standing staring into each other's eyes, but he was embarassed to talk about it and she didn't press him.

'You just feel bad because you were gone for so long.' She said authoritively, and he looked at her. 'You feel responsible for what's happened to everyone, and it's making you shy.' He hung his head. She was right, though it wasn't what he had been thinking of. He had opened the Sacred Realm himself, seven years before, allowed Ganondorf to sieze the power to take over the world, and vanished for years immediately after. He felt like he had run away, abandoning people to their fate. Now he was doing everything he could to make things right, and succeeding, so he supposed he could allow himself to relax more. He stood up and toyed with the new hookshot. Navi's words had helped him feel a little better, though he still struggled with the real problem. He was too embarassed to raise the subject with her, and resolved to put it out of his mind for now. There was a Sage to awaken.

'Ready to keep going?'

The fairy sighed and rolled her eyes. 'Fine...' and she crawled under his hat. 'I hate this place,' he could hear her muttering to herself, and he smiled suddenly.

'Hey, in a week or so we'll probably be somewhere even worse, and this lovely dingy room will feel like it was a holiday!' He laughed at her heartfelt groan, and jumped into the freezing grip of the black water.

\----

Link's feet touched down on the seal, and he felt elated. He had finally left the cloying dampness of the temple, destroyed the water demon and freed the Sage. He had only been half surprised at Ruto being revealed as a Sage, after all, she was the Zora princess. She had promised him her undyling love in the Chamber, and he had blanched, but then she had laughed and admitted that it was unlikely she could offer that now. She had released Link from his engagement, then laughed again as she explained she had only been half serious about it in the first place.

Overall, he mused as he landed in the dawn light, that could have turned out worse.

He spied a slim figure ahead of him, and, recognising Sheik, went to join him. The mysterious man was looking out over the lake, but he turned at Link's greeting. As the hero caught up with him he waved an arm over the expanse of water in front of them.

'The water rises, flushing the evil from this place. You and Ruto did well to break the curse.' Link had got used to his strange manner of speech, never offering greeting or explanation, and talking in vague terms. He looked at the lake bed, and indeed it was rising, water churning as it poured in from a dozen sources.

'By sunset, the lake will again be full of pure water.' Link could tell the stranger was smiling, though his face was largely obscured the corners of his eyes were turned up. It was odd to stand with him in this moment of rare peace, and he found himself thinking over what little he knew about the man. This time he had a chance to study him before he ran off, and he looked him over. There was a definite sense of strength and agility, powerful muscles and a confident stance, but something was off, something indefinably wrong with the picture, as if the stranger were a masterpiece of art that had been hung crookedly. He frowned, the Sheikah seemed to sense his gaze and turned.

He ignored the innocent look on Link's face and nodded towards the rising sun. Link glanced over at it, appreciating for a second how the churning water reflected the rays into a dazzling array of lights, and when he turned again the stranger was gone.

Link sighed and stretched his arms. 'What did he say was next?'

Navi darted out from under his hat. 'I think it was the house of the dead...' her voice betrayed her trepidition, and Link grumbled.

'Sounds like a walk in the park. I'm not walking into a dead house without a rest.'

'I didn't say a dead house, I meant... oh forget it.'

\----

Malon hummed a tune to herself in the cowshed. She was about to head off to the house, but she was deep in thought and she stayed, brushing one of the cows absent mindedly. It lowed and rubbed its nose against her hand, and she smiled vaguely. It had been a week since she had watched Link disappear into the morning mist, a week where she had tried to keep herself as busy as possible, but there was only so much to do and she found herself dwelling more and more on where he could be. She hated herself for letting him just walk off, she had wanted to stop him, tell him what she was feeling, let him know everything, but the words had choked her, and he had been gone. The memory made her irritable and she wrenched the door open, striding out into the morning. The sun was weaker than it had been, there were clouds gathering in the distance, and their colour matched her mood.

She had spent a few nights since lying up late, and in the morning light she flushed to recall what she had been thinking of. She kept recalling that moment when she had stared into his eyes in the sunset, remembering his strong jaw, his hand gripping her arm, and every time in her mind she leaned forward...

She kicked viciously at a daisy. She hadn't done it, her courage had failed her, and now he probably thought she didn't like him. She grumbled a greeting to Ingo as he passed cheerily, and wandered towards the house. Maybe he was avoiding her, maybe she had hurt him by doing nothing... Just as she laid a hand on the door handle, she heard a shout, a familiar voice, and her bad mood evaporated as quickly as the smile spread across her face. She saw him coming through the gate, began to run, then checked herself. Maybe she shouldn't be too keen to see him.

'Hey.' He came grinning towards her, and she returned the smile.

'Hey.' He stopped a few feet away and already that damned awkwardness, the silence that seemed to heat up the air. She looked him over.

'I see you managed to keep yourself out of trouble this time. Or at least you're still in one piece, which is more than I hoped for.'

He grimaced. 'I might be in one piece but I think I'll die if I have to go swimming again.'

'What was it like?' She was eager to hear of the temple and his mind ran through all the memories, the cold, the silence broken only by dripping, the light dancing on the ceiling, the clinging darkness and pressure and feeling of helplessness in a current, and he shrugged.

'It was pretty wet.' and she looked put out. It had been a day since he had left the lakeside and he had only just dried out before nightfall.

'Can I stay for a few days? I was awake for a long time, and got pretty bumped about.'

Navi rolled her eyes. The water demon had picked him up, flailing him through the air to crash against the walls, the current had dragged him around like a ragdoll, and the shadow figure had tested his skills to the limit, and this was all he could say? She resolved to get Malon on her own again later and tell her the real story again. The girl smiled with delight.

'Of course you can! The more people around, the happier it is here!'

Her words pleased him. Maybe he could seize a chance to be alone again and it would go right this time... Though he was worried. She was treating him like a friend, a good friend, but a friend only, and he wondered if she had forgotten that moment on the hillside, and cursed his punctured hopes. He waited as she picked up a few tools and followed as she led him back out onto the corrall, talking lightly of how life was now. The ranch was recovering, an island of peace in the middle of the field, and she was talking of the extensions her father was planning when they were interrupted by a boy coming round the corner of the stables.

'I'm done with that horse, miss Malon- oh, I'm sorry...' for Link had almost walked right into him.

'Good, that was quicker than I thought you'd take! Link, this is Kafei, Kafei, Link. I don't think you've met before?' Link shook his mead mutely. 'Dad has big plans the three of us couldn't manage on our own, so he hired some help.' The boy nodded amiably at Link, who glowered back at him. He had heard Malon's explanation, but his stomach had lurched in that way he was now familiar with, except now it was red, raw, thoroughly unpleasant. He gave the newcomer a glance that only just avoided being hostile. He must have been around their age, maybe younger, with shoulder length hair he had dyed purple. Link wondered what kind of person would take the time or effort for that sort of thing these days, then realised he was being irritable and nodded back, trying to ignore Kafei's evident good looks.

Malon sent him off on another errand, then kept walking on. Link followed in silence, feeling moody. He had waited to see her for so long, and now when he came back she was distant, and there was another man hanging around the ranch. So that's how it was. He had never felt jealous before, and if this was how it felt he was sure he never wanted to experience it again.

Malon could feel his eyes boring into her back, and she bit her lip. Stupid, stupid, stupid, she should have mentioned it before, made things clear, but she had forgotten and now Link's resentment was palpable. She desperately wanted to turn, lay the situation out and talk it over, but knew him well enough to realise if she tried he would just nod and simmer. She knew how it looked, but Kafei really was just someone working on the farm. She barely spoke to him, and even then only about work, but he was living here and that alone was reason enough for Link's jealousy. How could she let him know how she felt? She couldn't, not without speaking plainly and appearing patronising, and it was with relief she reached the corrall and Talon turned to bellow a greeting.

Link was cordial enough as his hand was shaken, and as Talon filled him in on the state of the ranch, he listened attentively and acted as though Malon wasn't there. She bit her lip even harder and hung her head, feeling wretched.

'Big plans, my boy, big plans! I've been lazy too long, when I had nothing to do I realised the oppurtunities! What was there was good, but more is better! We're putting up a new building, more animals, more room, more people!' The thought of the future pleased him, and he laughed. 'Of course, any definite result is months away, maybe years, but that's no reason not to start, is it? You must have met Kafei, fine young fellow, fine fellow, he's helping keep the place tidy while I organise the future!' and he pointed out patches of the field that he had reserved for development. The money wasn't coming in, he admitted, thanks to people's reluctance to travel, but surely after Link had defeated the Evil King there would be time and cash for growth. 'Besides,' he whispered conspiratorially into the boy's ear, 'I want to leave Malon something for the future. The farm was working, but if it was bigger, well, she'll be comfortable for the rest of her life.' Link returned the smile grimly. He was sure she would be. He had deliberately avoided looking at Malon for several minutes now.

'Have you seen Kafei around, actually? Good worker that, damn fine worker, I could use his help on something.'

'I sent him to feed the Cuccos.' Malon explained, her voice small. She glanced nervously at Link as she said it, but he was staring at the gathering clouds, and seemed not to hear.

'Hrrmph. Well, I suppose I can manage without him for now.'

'I can help.' Link spoke quietly, almost too quietly to hear, but Talon grinned and slapped him heartily on the back.

'Good lad! I need some things moved, nothing major. Come on! Malon, you'd best find Kafei and make sure he doesn't get into trouble!'

She muttered something and started walking. Link was glad of the chance to work, he wanted some time away from Malon, time to calm his insides, and maybe to show he was as good a worker as anyone. 'Nothing major' turned out to be a heap of loose stones and logs Talon appeared to have salvaged, and he was sorting them by size and shape into piles. The work was simple, and they were busy into the afternoon. They had made quite a dent in the pile when Talon called a halt for refreshment, and he bustled off to get them a meal.

'Bit sticky today, don't you think?' He had muttered, and indeed it was humid. The air was still and the clouds were swirling, bringing the promise of rain. Link watched him go, picking at his clothing where it was sticking to him with perspiration, and sat on one of the lumps of stone. Navi poked her head out as he started twisting a blade of grass aimlessly.

'What's the matter with you?' and he flicked his eyes up irritably.

'Nothing. Just tired.'

'Oh come on. I know you better than that. It might do you some good to talk for once, rather than fester in a huff.'

He glared at the ground, then scattered the pieces of grass.

'What do you think the matter is? Look at him!' Navi glanced over to where Kafei was visible by the buildings, flapping his arms at some cuccos.

'What about him?'

Link mouthed silently for a second. He wanted to rant at the fairy in the most bitter way he could think of, but that would mean explaining why he felt so terrible.

'Just... look at his stupid hair. Mr oh-I'm-such-a-great-worker. Just hanging about looking good, don't mind me.' He wasn't making sense, and he stopped himself before getting too offensive, but the words were out and had been spoken with such vehemence Navi paused. There was an awkward silence and he pulled up some more grass.

'You're jealous.'

'Don't be stupid.'

'I'm not the one being stupid! Goddesses above, how thick are you?'

He blinked.

'What?'

'Don't give me that. You know exactly what I mean.' She had flown out to float in front of him, and she folded her arms and glared at him. 'If you hadn't been so busy feeling sorry for yourself, nice display earlier, by the way, very mature, you might have taken some notice of Malon's feelings! She was really hurt when you ignored her, and if you could maybe deflate your pride for a second and actually think about other people you'd bloody well better start feeling bad too!' Link looked as though he'd been slapped. He had never heard Navi this angry, and what was worse was that she had known, exactly, what had been bothering him.

'But she-' His feeble protest was cut short.

'She what? What has she done to deserve this? Acted civily to someone living in her home? What a crime! And because of that you're going to continue sniping and grumble at her for no reason, none at all, and be horrible to your best friend because you're too stubborn and bitter to scrape together enough decency to apologise!'

She fumed at him and he hung his head. She debated for a second telling him how Malon gazed at him when he wasn't looking, describing the look of longing, but decided she didn't want to push him too far. He could work that out for himself if he got his act together. He was silent, and she huffed in irritation and drifted away. He could think that over for a while, maybe she had shocked him into acting like an adult for once.

Link watched her fly away, feeling sick. She was right, completely right about everything, damn her! He hung his head. He was being stupid. Jealousy and bitterness wouldn't help him, it could only ruin the friendship he held so dear, and he began planning an apology. He was still irritated by the other boy's presence, by the fact he would be here all day, every day, whereas he himself could only manage fleeting visits, but maybe he could manage another moment alone with Malon to try and explain himself.

He looked up to see Talon returning, and stood. This would take some thinking about, he realised glumly. Good thing he had plenty of time.

\----

They stopped piling and sorting shortly afterwards. The clouds were continuing to thicken, the light was failing, and they needed to drive the cattle back to the stables. Malon was summoned to help, and the three of them did the job as the wind began to rustle the grass, bringing a respite from the humid, clinging air. The weather suggested a storm, and Ingo was anxious that everything should be tied down. Just as he started to do so, however, the wind dropped. A little light began to return to the early evening, and apparently there was to be no storm after all. Link was a little dissapointed, but it did mean the horses could be left outside and they were left with nothing to do for a while. He steeled himself,at this moment he would rather have taken on the dragon again, and touched Malon's elbow lightly.

'Um, Malon...'

'Yes Link?' Her voice was polite, as if she was trying to be neutral.

'Could I... have a word? Just for a minute?'

'Of course.'

They walked out on to the field, away from the others who had gathered to discuss the strange weather, and he turned to her. He rubbed his neck, feeling wretched, and she was looking at him politely and the damn words wouldn't come, but he had to say something!

'I um... I wanted to... say sorry. For earlier. Um. I was-' and he hesitated. This wasn't going well, the speech he had planned earlier and rehearsed multiple times had collapsed, and he was about to blurt out how jealous and bitter he felt. '-tired. Just, tired.' He finished lamely. 'I didn't mean anything, um, bad, by it.' The words were stupid and clumsy, and he felt more awkward than he ever had, but he stole a glance upwards to see her wearing an expression of equal amusement and delight. It was gone a second later, she was back to that polite, neutral expression, but the hint of a smile stayed on her lips. Her eyes were lively, and she looked as beautiful as she ever had.

'Well, thank you Link. People do strange things when they're tired. Please don't worry about it.'

He winced. He had never felt smaller. He muttered something about being needed, and wandered off. Navi stayed, and Malon turned to her sadly.

'He was jealous, wasn't he? I knew he would be. I didn't mean it to be like this.'

'Of course he was. He's going to keep being jealous too, but he wants to be your friend even more.'

Malon was pleased. She had hated hurting him so unexpectedly, had hidden herself inside all afternoon so she wouldn't hurt him more. Though he had apologised for nothing in particular, and given no real reason, the true meaning behind the humble apology had been obvious. The knowledge that he was so bitterly jealous of another man even being nearby had perversly lifted her spirits. He clearly felt the same way she did, and she grinned suddenly. The fairy had told her how he was feeling, even if she hadn't meant to, and maybe it was time to gamble everything on human emotion, and damn the consequences.

\----

They ate in comparative high spirits that night, Link was talkative, trying to act like himself again, even being civil to Kafei, and Malon smiled. She didn't say much herself, preferring to sit and give him looks that were just unsubtle enough for him to notice. The weather had stayed dry, and they had left the horses out in the field. There was a shelter in the corrall they could use if it got worse, and the conversation turned to other things. Link was terribly confused, chatting away almost automatically. The day had been so complicated, so full of strange feelings and interactions he was feeling quite lost, and could only guess at how Malon might be feeling towards him. He knew how he felt, and sometimes he caught her looking at him and that confused him even more. He wished he could just blurt it out, tell her that he thought she was beautiful, but he had made a mess of his other speech today and distracted himself.

'Of course you can stay for a few days, stay for as long as you like! We can always use another hand around here, and I'm sure it's a nice break for you!' Talon was ebullient, handling the bulk of the conversation himself, and the meal passed quickly as darkness fell. It was early to be dark, and Ingo ventured the opinion that the clouds had thickened again.

'Don't be daft, man. It was clear earlier!' Talon smiled, then his moustache drooped as the first heavy drops of rain rattled on the windows.

'Damn. That sounds like it could get a lot worse-' he was cut off by the sudden racket of rain drumming on the roof. 'Didn't see that coming. Sounds like the storm decided to break! We have to secure the windows, and someone get out and give those horses some more shelter!'

'I'll do it.' Malon had stood up quickly. Kafei began to rise, but she smiled at him. 'It's ok Kafei, you stay and tie this place down. Link, would you come and help?' she turned that dazzling smile on him and he couldn't have dreamed of refusing. He stood and they hurried out into the gathering dark, the wind wrenched the door open and drove the rain inside for a second, then they were out and running to the corrall. Malon had seized a heavy oilskin sheet on the way out, and as they approached they could see the horses already huddled in the shelter. They fought through the rain, the drops were huge, they were easily a foot long each, thick globs of water that poured in an endless, solid sheet, turning the ground to mud and making them slip. They made it to the shelter and battled with the wind to stretch the heavy oilskin across the opening. The ferocity of the wind dropped suddenly, they dragged the sheet across and tied it down, and the rain was no longer being driven horizontally but was back to an endless, shining curtain that rustled as it fell. Link turned to the house, his head bowed against the water pressing on his head, then he paused to check Malon was beside him and she wasn't. He looked back, she was standing looking nervously at him, and he turned back to push through the curtain towards her. It was strange weather, he reflected, for the noise had dropped too to leave only the insistent rustling of a thousand raindrops caressing the ground.

'Malon, come on!'

'Wait, Link, I... I want to say something.'

'It's hardly the time for it, wouldn't you think?' and he blew his sopping fringe out of his eyes.

She smiled but said nothing, and he took another step. He used the time to stare at her, she was ignoring the rain, her hair fell in wet strands that clung to her, and her face was running with water. If she was ignoring it he was too, the rain was nothing compared to the oily water in the temple, and she stood staring at him, her fingers twisting as if she was building up courage. They hadn't had time to put on cloaks before leaving the house, and her clothes were soaked, her thin shirt clung to her body, promising a slim figure beneath. He noticed that her scarf was lower than usual, her collarbones and the top of her chest were visible and covered in streaks of rain, water dripping to the deep shadows that promised softness, and he gulped, moving his gaze up guiltily to her face. That beautiful, soft face was currently frowning as she got her thoughts in order, it had only been a few seconds and she opened her mouth to speak.

'Link, I wanted to say...' she trailed off and the rain masked her last few words. He took a step closer so he could hear her better, and she started again.

'I'm afraid that, well, you saved my life and my family, and I was too caught up in excitement at the time to really-' she had taken a step that had demanded all her courage, Link had taken another step to hear her better over the driving rain, and suddenly they collided and her mouth was only inches from his. '-thank you... properly...' she stammered, plans forgotten, and they stood for a second in silence, her hot breath was on his cheek, the rain was still running down their faces but they ignored it, then her hands were around his neck and she drew him closer and her mouth was on his.

He held her tight, unbelieving, his heart hammering fit to burst, her mouth was so soft, her lips tasted of honey as he brushed his tongue over them. His hands were on her back, her hips, pulling her close against him, and she threaded her fingers through his soaking hair, locking their lips together as they hungrily explored each other's mouths. She clung to him, her body was tight against his and he could feel her slim figure through their sodden clothing, and he pulled her tighter as if he could drag her inside himself and they would never be apart. She broke the kiss, gasped a breath over his mouth and she was all over him, pressing her face against his, kissing his cheeks, his nose, his eyes, biting his lip and breathing quick, passionate breaths down his throat. He couldn't even think, all that mattered was the touch of her skin, the wetness of her mouth, warm against the cold rivers running down his face. His pining for her seemed so long ago, the jealousy and small matters of the day were forgotten, unimportant in the face of the passion that raged at his mind. His chest roared in triumph, his hands shamelessly explored her body, feeling the curves of her back and hips just as her hand was stroking the muscles of his shoulders, and he pressed her body into his to feel her breasts against his chest. Her movements slowed, she was still biting his lip and the small pain excited him, and her eyes opened. They stopped, gazing into each others eyes as they caught their breath.

The rain still drove down, but he felt as though he would never be cold again. She smiled and her beauty was agonising, she was about to say something but the second her mouth opened he had kissed her, slower this time, and she moaned softly into his mouth as he gently stroked her cheek. This was a slower, tender kiss and she returned it with relish, her heart pounding at her chest. Finally they broke apart, and she licked fresh raindrops from her lips. She tried to say something again, but a rumble of thunder interrupted and she couldn't help grinning, and they laughed, their heads together, embracing each other as thunder rolled in the sky.

Dripping hands pushed his head back, the first hurdle was receding into the distance and that gave her the confidence to finally draw enough breath to speak.

'Link...' Her voice was soft, almost lost in the constant rustling of the rain, and he gently raised her chin to look her in the eye.

'Yes, Malon?' He was attentive, she had his full attention and it had to be said now or it could never be said.

'I love you.' She said it so simply it carried the ring of absolute truth, and the words felt foolish in her mouth and she looked down again, thoroughly embarassed.

'I love you too.' Her eyes widened, his mouth came down and found hers, and his heart soared with triumph. He had done it, he was flying now, nothing could touch him. A lover's kiss in the rain, and everything had changed. They stood there for a long time, oblivious to the rain and the rising wind, and it was only when lightning flared in the distance they stirred. They broke apart and Malon shivered slightly.

'We should get back.'

'Yeah...' He was rueful, not wanting this perfect moment to end, but to stay out in the still gathering storm was foolish. She kissed him again, lightly on the lips, and led him gently back to the house. She was giggly, her head felt light, and she wriggled closer to him when he put his arm round her hip. They were walking slowly, stepping carefully through the mud, and Link pretended to slip a little so his hand could slide further down. He squeezed gently and she laughed, her eyes sparking with life and happiness, and she whispered to him as they reached the door.

'Link?'

'Aye?'

'Don't tell dad.' and the grin on her face was wide as she ducked into the house.

\----

It had taken a while for them to dry. Talon had scolded them for staying out so long, they could have caught a cold, they could have been blown away, what had kept them?

'One of the horses was frightened, dad. We had to chase him back to the shelter.'

Talon grumbled, but her innocent expression had convinced him.

Link had scrubbed at his soaking hair with a piece of sacking, he was sat by the fire that had been built up to ward off the ocassional gust under the door. Malon had disappeared up to her room to change out her sodden clothes, while Link, no stranger to being wet, had merely removed his outer layer and shuffled even closer to the flames. Ingo had brought him some blankets, he supposed he would sleep by the fire as Kafei had the spare room.

'It's only fair, you know. He is living here, after all. There's not much room but I'm sure we can squeeze you in somewhere.' Ingo seemed apologetic, but Link had smiled. The words had come as Malon had reached the top of the stairs, he had caught her eye and they had grinned at each other, then she was gone into her room before anyone could see her blush.

Rain still drummed on the roof, rattled on the windows, and every so often the wind would gather a great swathe of drops and they would swirl in the air before hammering down on the buildings that huddled defiantly below.

Link gathered some straw by the fire, spread the blankets, and was helping Ingo and Kafei waterproof the room when he heard footsteps treading lightly on the stairs. He smiled, knowing that it was Malon, and he continued fixing a heavy oilskin over one of the windows. It wouldn't do to have it leaking, and he pretended to be engrossed in getting it to fit perfectly, half listening to the conversation behind him. She called to him and, feigning surprise, he turned. She had changed into her nightdress, which he had never seen before, and he immediately hoped he would see it again. It was a simple enough white dress, with a wide neck, and it hung loosely from her slender frame to end halfway down her thighs, her long legs smooth, shapely and glowing in the firelight. Her hair was still damp, and it hung down her back, ending just below the hem of her dress. He gulped slightly, then smiled at the look on Kafei's face. The younger boy was thunderstruck, staring at Malon as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing, and Link no longer felt jealous but proud. In any dancing hall, any parlour or reception in the world she would be considered beautiful, and she was his.

He walked over to them, trying his hardest to act naturally. He wanted her, he wanted to hold her and kiss her again, but with the others there he couldn't, so he joined in with the polite goodnights. Kafei went to the spare room, looking slightly dazed, and Link spread himself out on his bed of straw, letting the fire's warmth seep into his bones. He was closing his eyes when he felt a hand brush his shoulder. He opened his eyes to find Malon bending over him, and smiled.

She looked at him with adoration in her eyes. 'I just wanted to say goodnight again. Privately.' She was speaking quietly, Ingo was still bustling around at the other end of the room. The firelight was playing on her face, her pale skin shining gold, and he grinned at her, stroked a strand of her hair away from her face and behind her long ear.

'Goodnight Malon.' He winked.

She stuck her tongue out at him then, with a quick glance to check Ingo was still busy, leaned down to kiss him on the cheek. She moved again to whisper in his ear, 'Don't let the others know,' then she was suppressing a giggle and nibbling at his ear. He winked at her again and her smile threatened to wrap right round her head. They were both elated, sharing the memory of each other's bodies, and she pursed her lips to try and stop smiling.

'Goodnight, Link.' She cuffed him lightly on the back of his head. He grinned and took her hand as she left, their fingers wrapped for a second then she was gone, cheerily hugging Ingo on her way past, her legs twinkling at him from under her dress as she climbed the stairs, then the door shut.

Link lay back with a half smile on his face..

'I bet you're pleased with yourself.' The amused voice came from next to the fire where Navi was reclining on his hat, and he cursed himself for thinking she had been sleeping.

'I don't know what you mean.' He replied in the most aloof voice he could muster, and closed his eyes.

Navi smiled to herself, deciding not to push her luck. She had watched as they had said goodnight and she was pleased for him. Malon was beautiful, it would be hard to find anyone who would describe her otherwise, and her upbeat personality was exactly what Link needed to help him through his quest. She was happy they had finally done something about their feelings, watching them dance round each other had been frustrating when the attraction had been so obvious, and she smiled as she realised he had now grown up mentally as well as physically. She settled back into the folded hat, gazing fondly at the boy stretched out on the straw. She had told him she would look after him, whether he wanted her to or not.

\----

Morning dawned dull and grey. The storm had expended its fury in light and thunder, and only the rain remained, drumming patiently on the earth so that the ground was covered with a fine mist of broken drops.

Navi was eager to be up, but Link groaned and turned over, ignoring her. After a while people woke and came into the main room, he couldn't ignore the bustle of the start of the day, and grumbled as he crawled into his tunic. He had been lost to a dream that had mixed with memories of the previous evening to become quite enjoyable, though he didn't understand some of it. Malon smiled her good morning to him as he cut bread for breakfast, she looked tired.

Malon rubbed the bags under her eyes. She hadn't slept for a long time, her memory repeating those few minutes over and over, and she had been happy to let it play, curled up in bed with the rain slanting angrily against the window. After a while the repeated memories began changing slightly, and had evolved into an elaborate fantasy that had kept her up even longer. She had finally snatched a few hours of sleep and had woken only to find the room cold and the rain still falling.

Talon was his usual noisy self over breakfast, not that anyone minded. Link and Malon were staring at their food in silence, ocassionally one would glance at the other, but they said little, while Kafei, evidently still dwelling on Malon's appearance at bedtime, seemed too embarassed by her presence to say much. Ingo was staring outside vacantly, humming to himself, and was the first to rise when everyone finished eating. The farm work had to go on whatever the weather, and they swathed themselves in heavy cloaks and dashed outside to their appointed tasks, heads down against the ceaseless rain. Link stayed inside with Talon for a while, helping to repair a saddle and bridle that had lain mouldering in the corner for months, while Talon chatted aimlessly. When they had finished he was chivvied outside to find something to help with, and he darted across the alley to the stables. The horses had been brought in and squeezed into their stalls, and he reasoned that he would find Malon there.

He was right. She was finishing milking the cows, and had her back to him as he entered, stroking a cows nose and talking nonsense to it. She didn't seem to have heard the door open, and he moved with stealth until he could put his arms round her and kiss her neck. She shrieked for a second, realised it was him, and smacked his arm.

'Nice of you to join me.' Her voice was taunting, and she turned her head to kiss him on the cheek. He grinned at her and she laughed.

'This is so strange...'

'What do you mean?' He looked at her, puzzled. Had her feelings changed? She saw the look on his face and smiled again.

'Not like that. It's just...' She fell silent, leaning back against him as she gathered her thoughts. Link stayed quiet, knowing she would speak when she was ready, and he was enjoying the feeling of her silky hair on his cheek, his hands were resting lightly on her firm stomach and he didn't want to move.

'All those years ago, when you said you would be gone for a long time, I almost didn't believe it. I kept expecting you to just come running up the hill, tomorrow maybe, or the day after. It was a long time before I realised you were actually gone...'

He was frowning. She had mentioned this a few weeks ago, when he had first come back to the ranch, and he had forgotten it in his anger at the time. But now here it was again, that sense that something wasn't matching up. His last memory of her as a child was running to the castle, shouting that he would be right back. She turned her head, saw his expression, and mistook it for hurt.

'I mean, I knew that you would be back. You said you would be and I believed you, I just didn't think it would be quite such a long time. I waited and waited and nearly gave up, then when I saw you walk through that door...'

She smiled and twisted round in his arms.

'I didn't expect it to turn out like this.'

She kissed him, slowly again, and his hands stroked her hair. He was confused. She wasn't telling him off for disappearing, not exactly, but she was letting him know how she had felt and the hurt was there. He had abandoned her, as he had abandoned everyone, and she had spent the years in despair of her friend ever returning. He felt terrible, responsible for everything that had happened, and he kissed her harder as though he could somehow make it up to her now. She giggled, her hands exploring the muscles on his back where his wet tunic hugged his body.

'Look at us, I'm sure there's something more productive to do...' but she didn't move, and he kissed her again.

Hurrying footsteps outside, voices, and they broke apart as if shocked by lightning. Malon ducked to gather the buckets she had filled, Link, in absence of anything to actually do, scratched a cow between the ears. The door banged open, Ingo and Kafei dashed inside and began shaking the water from their cloaks. They were grinning, they had raced each other to the stable to avoid getting too wet, and Malon looked primly at them.

'If you two have finished dashing around, I'll need your help taking this milk to the store.'

They needed to cover the pails before taking them outside, and Link heroically offered his own cloak. Navi wriggled out from under his hat and laughed at him.

'I don't know what you're laughing at.' He said snootily, and she only laughed more.

They splashed through the mud, heads down and arms aching. The tone of the day was set, and midday was filled with hunched figures darting between buildings.

Navi waited until they were under shelter again before raising her next point.

'I think we should get going soon.'

Link frowned at her.

'What do you mean?'

'Well, in case it had slipped your addled mind, there are still two sages to free and a tyrant to throw down.'

'What do you mean addled? I'm not addled...'

'No, but you're avoiding the rest of what I just said.'

Link made a face. Of course he was avoiding it. He had just found happiness, something to occupy his mind other than fighting and darkness, and now she wanted him to leave? He wanted to argue that point with her, but was unwilling to speak of his and Malon's relationship, even thought Navi already knew.

'I just... thought I'd rest a little longer.'

'The more you put it off, the more unwilling you will be to actually get going again when the time comes.'

She was right, and he had to present his real excuse.

'I'm happy here, Navi. I want to stay.' He said it humbly, and felt utterly pathetic as the words left his mouth. A child making excuses.

'You mean you're happy with her.' He glared at her. 'I can hardly blame you. But think about it. The sooner you finish your quest, the sooner you can settle down for good, without having to worry about the future.'

He knew it made sense, but a dark thought rose unbidden. What if he was to die, on the floor of some ancient temple? She would never know, they would never be together, and the time they could have spent together now would have been lost forever. He felt cowardly for fearing it, cowardly for finding excuses to abandon his quest, and he slammed his fist against the wall in a sudden fit of anger.

'You're right. Of course you're right.' he said bitterly. 'We should go now, get the damn thing over with for good. What were your plans?'

'Well, Sheik said the house of the dead.' She eyed him nervously, she had not expected the sudden anger. 'The only place I know that might hold that would be the graveyard in Kakariko. There were rumours once of catacombs underneath, that could be the temple we're looking for.'

He thought it over. 'Makes sense, and a good place to start. When should we leave?'

'Ideally, we'll be in Kakariko tonight.'

He blanched.

'Tonight?'

'We can stay there, start at dawn. I'd rather walk into a necropolis at dawn than dusk, wouldn't you?'

He laughed bitterly. He was thinking less of the coming temple and more of what he would say to Malon. How would she react to him leaving so soon? He felt an immense longing in the pit of his stomach, but he knew it could only be satisfied after the quest was done.

\----

The rain started to thin around mid afternoon. Malon had taken the news sadly, she had expected him to stay longer, had hoped he would be around for when she needed him, but Navi was insistent and the pair were leaving soon. The same morbid thoughts that had plagued Link all afternoon had crept their way into her mind, and she wondered how she would cope if he failed to return. Would anyone ever find out, or would the absence stretch into weeks, months, while the dark power in the castle grew in strength? Her imagination filled with images of tears, pain and hopelessness, and she gritted her teeth against it. She would not succumb to despair. He had always returned, always kept his promises, and she wouldn't start to doubt him now. She had faith, but still wished that her imagination wasn't quite so active. At least, not on this topic.

Link had refilled his supplies, and she had slipped a cool bottle of milk into his pack. She didn't know what else to do. She felt so useless, she never actively helped him in his trials. She suddenly resented the way she sat at home in her comfortable life while he was fighting monsters. Now it would happen again, he would leave and she would go back to looking after her animals. She sniffed and, when he looked at her with concern, passed it off as just a cold.

'It's been pretty unusually wet, I wouldn't be surprised if you've caught something too.' And she tried a smile. They had paused under the arch that led to the ranch, which, while not a good shelter by any means, at least was slightly drier underneath.

Link was awkward. He didn't want to go, wanted to at least make some excuses, but Navi was darting around the field, eager to be off, and there was no time. He took her hand, his big, gauntleted fingers dwarfed hers, and searched for the words.

'I'll see you again soon.' It sounded feeble, but he didn't know what else to say. She nodded, and said goodbye, her voice thick. He was about to take a step when she flung herself on him, kissing him, her leg wrapped round his slightly, and he clung to the warmth in the rain and knew it couldn't last. She kissed him fiercely, biting his lip, and he tasted blood. He had to take that step, and she clung to him, her fingers dug into his tunic, before she reluctantly let him go.

'Be safe.'

'I will.'

It was a sad goodbye, and they stared at each other for a second, the tears on her face mixed with the rain. Their minds were filled with emotions, overflowing with hopes and dreams for the future, but the road to that future lay on this damp hillside and he turned to slide through the mud towards the village. His throat was raw, the creature in his chest grumbled at him, but he kept going, following the glow of the fairy through the rain.

Malon stared after him for a second, then decided she would not be a pathetic woman from the old stories and stay looking wistfully into the rain for hours. She had things to do, and tried to focus on them as she walked slowly back towards the ranch.

He would be back. He always kept his promises.


	5. Chapter 5: Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This was originally tacked on to the massive shadow chapter, but since that ended up being twice as long as my uni dissertation I decided to split it off into a seperate chapter for your convenience. I also explain time travel in the most confusing way possible.

Link strode through the rain in silence. Navi kept a politic silence too. She knew he was annoyed at her, and she let him grumble to himself. His thoughts were turned inward, and he was tempted to start wallowing in self pity. The weather wasn't helping. He glanced up at the rain as they neared the bridge to Kakariko Village, then frowned. The clouds were there, tumbling ominously, but they were lit from below, stark orange against grey, and a thick plume of smoke was rising, twitched into strange shapes by the wind. Navi followed his gaze and frowned.

'Something's wrong... Hey!' and she darted forward to catch up with Link, who was running toward the steps.

His feet pounded at the stone stairway, then he reached the top and skidded in the mud to stop, panting, against the gateway. Lightning flashed behind the village, starkly visible through the tattered material on the arms of the windmill. The house on the right blazed fiercely, the rain hissing as it fell on the burning timbers. He screwed his eyes up against the smoke. People were running in the distance, but there was silence by the well. He squinted harder, then blinked. Sheik?

The stranger didn't move as Link ran up behind him.

'What's happening?'

Sheik glanced over his shoulder, then flung out a hand as Link came closer.

'Get back!'

Link skidded again, then gazed, astonished as the wooden frame over the well disintegrated with a crunch. He flung up a hand to protect his eyes from the falling splinters, then yelled as Sheik was lifted into the air. The momentary lapse of attention had allowed something to escape, grab him and now he was flung from side to side as though gripped by some marauding appendage, but Link, frantically yanking his sword from its scabbard, could see nothing.

'There!' Navi screamed at him, and for a second he gave up cursing the weather. The rain was falling still, but there was an area where the drops were rebounding from mid air. He ran forward, burying the sword in nothing. There was no resistance, but a shreik split the air and Sheik was hurled down the small flight of stairs, no longer thrown about like a puppet but falling, and he hit the ground with a cry and a sickening thud. Link, his eyes still frantically searching for an invisible monster, frowned for a second. That cry... that had been a woman's voice. He swung round to see Sheik sprawled in the mud, and he scrambled down the stairs, slick with rain, to the stranger's side.

'Come on, wake up...' He patted the man's face, shook him, then looked up at the well as the sound of stone cracking filled the air. Navi, her attention on Sheik, frowned. His wrappings had shifted slightly, his fringe thrown to the side, and for a second he almost looked familiar. Before she could think about it any longer, Link called for her, and she turned to see a long line of mud being thrown into the air by the creature passing. It had escaped the well, but it was hurt. The trail corkscrewed madly across the ground, then flung dust and tiles aside as it crawled over a house. It curled round the village, then turned and came straight at Link, who set his feet, raised his shield...

A crunch, then he was flailing helplessly through the air. his arms windmilled, the sword flew from his grasp, then something cracked on the side of his head and his vision blurred. He clawed angrily at the air around him, then pitched sideways through the rain to smash against a wall. His vision went black before he hit the ground.

\----

'Link? Wake up!'

He groaned. His head throbbed, and his mouth tasted coppery from blood. Pain was good though, it meant he was still alive. He opened his eyes with another groan. It was dark, the rain still fell, but the burning house had been extinguished. Sheik was leaning over him, Navi fluttering round his head.

'Looks like you're ok.'

'Ugh... whatever you say.' Link sat up, glanced behind him to the crack in the plaster where he had hit the wall. He winced, and rubbed his head. 'I hope I don't have to pay for that. What was that thing?'

Sheik answered, shaking his head slightly. 'That was the shadow spirit that Impa sealed at the bottom of the well many years ago. Maybe it fed on the evil in the land, I don't know, but it got too strong and, as you can see, broke the seal and escaped into the world.'

'You mean that thing's running around out there and no one can see it?' His stomach lurched as he thought of Malon, defenseless against some roaming spirit.

'Yes, but you hurt it. It's probably hiding right now, and that gives us a short oppurtunity. I believe Impa went to the Shadow Temple to seal it away, but on her own, I don't know if she will succeed.'

Link frowned. 'How would she do that?'

'Impa is one of the six Sages. I'm surprised you didn't see that coming.'

Link rubbed his head in embarassment. His fingers went to his temple and came away sticky. He grimaced.

'The Shadow Temple is not just a prison for a Sage. It acts as a seal against the underworld, protecting this world from the spirits that would do it harm. If the evil there is destroyed, the seal will come back into force and the creature you just fought will be banished. There is an entrance to the Temple behind this village, in the Graveyard.'

Navi, her fear for Link's safety fading, looked smug. 'I told you so.'

Link stuck out a hand and was pulled to his feet. 'Are there any more monsters like that? I don't fancy my chances if I can't even see them.' He looked at the clouds, which seemed to finally be drying up. 'And I doubt there will be convenient rainstorms underground.'

Sheik looked amused. 'I think you should speak to the man in the windmill about that. There is an item, a magical spyglass, that was hidden underneath this village long ago. It would enable you to see invisible things, not just monsters, everything.'

Link smiled. there was always a solution. 'Where can I get it?'

'It was hidden under the well.' The hero started towards the well, but Sheik stopped him. 'Remember, the well was sealed years ago. There is no way you can get down there.'

Link frowned, then kicked the grass in annoyance. 'Then why even tell me? Surely there's another way.'

Sheik looked him over as if judging him. Maybe he was ready. He would have to be.

'It wasn't always sealed. Speak to the man in the windmill, then meet me at the Temple of Time. I will explain there.' Link was about to ask a question, but there was a crack, a flash of light, and Sheik was gone.

'I hate it when he does that.' He was angry. 'And what on earth is the Temple of Time going to help with?'

'I'm just as confused as you are Link, but we can't take on a temple filled with things we can't see. I think we have to keep trusting him.'

'Fine. I don't see how the windmill man will help either. Let's see what he has to say.'

\----

Link crept along the ruined wall, his eyes on the jumble of rotting flesh in front. If one of them screamed, he would be finished, but as he kept putting one foot in front of the other, only dry, rattled breathing filled the air. He moved faster, not daring to look, then he was there, turning the corner and hurrying up towards the temple.

'Those things creep me out.'

Navi poked her head out from the brim of his hat to admonish him. 'They were people once, you know.'

Link was feeling irritable, it felt like his quest had petered off into dead end, and he was in no mood to be charitable. 'I was ill once, that doesn't mean I have to like throwing up.'

'Charming.'

His feet echoed in the Temple, suddenly peaceful after the nerve wracking jaunt through the ruined market, and he passed the Door of Time to where Sheik stood by the pedestal.

'Well? I'm here, what now?'

The man arched an eyebrow. 'If you would let me explain before snapping at me, I would be telling you right now.'

Link had never heard him speak that plainly before, and felt bad as he realised he had really annoyed the stranger. He mumbled an apology that was ignored. The stranger spoke, and he felt his brow creasing further and further.

'You mean...'

'Yes, if you place the Master Sword back in the pedestal, you will go back to the moment you first pulled it out.'

'How does that-'

'Magic.' Navi looked smug again.

'I... don't understand. If I could go back in time, why can't I stop myself opening the Sacred Realm in the first place?'

Sheik looked sad for a second. 'It doesn't work like that. You can go back, explore the well, find the lens and return here. The sword is the key to controlling the flow of time, the instant you draw it out again, you'll be back here, now.'

Link pinched the bridge of his nose. 'Wait, the windmill man said I ruined his windmill years ago. I assume I'm going to have to do that now, but why don't I remember it? Why don't I remember being a child again? In fact,' and he looked more confused than ever, ' If I already have the lens, why don't I have it on me now?'

Sheik blinked. 'It hasn't happened for you, yet. It has already happened, everything you have done has affected the world already, but the flow of time is different for everyone. You have yet to do any of it.'

Link thought about that for a second, then gave up. He sighed. 'This doesn't make any sense.'

'Maybe not. But that's how it works. Now,' Sheik stepped aside. 'Return the sword, and return to the past.'

Link unsheathed the sword, the steel rasping through the scabbard as he stepped up to the pedestal. He looked unsure, and glanced at the stranger. 'Are you going to do something while I'm gone?'

Sheik smiled and crossed his arms. 'I'll wait. You won't be away long.'

'Only seven years,' he muttered, then raised the sword. For a second, he remembered Malon in his arms, telling him of long ago things that he couldn't remember, and he smiled, the sword plunging down.

\----

He blinked. The sword handle was in front of him, much larger than it actually was, and small hands gripped the handle. Bare hands, with the Goron's bracelet on one wrist. He jerked back in shock, fell off the pedestal, and the hands came with him onto the ground.

'Link! We're back!' He gazed up at Navi, zooming excitedly over his head. He raised his hands and examined them, fascinated.

'It... looks like we are.' His voice was strange again, too high, and he coughed. He went to touch his face, but the arms were much lighter than his mind was used to, and he hit himself on the nose. He cursed and stood uncertainly. The feeling was similar to when he had grown up suddenly, the feeling of a strange body, but memory came to the forefront, he had lived like this for years, and the shock to the system wasn't as bad. Even his teeth only felt a little strange. He staggered slightly as he ran to the temple door, disbelieving, and gaped at the sunshine, the bustle of the town, and a butterfly landed on his hand. He glowered at it.

'This is...'

He went to the steps and stared down into the market.

'This is the same day we left!' The same people, the same band playing in the distance, even the same girl chasing the same cucco through the crowd. The sky was clear and bright with noonday sun. He felt dizzy and leaned on the wall for a second.

'I don't believe it... Maybe the day after we left.' This image had faded from his memory, lost to the darkness, and here it was, perfect in every detail. He wandered aimlessly down onto the square, not paying attention to where he was going, gaping at the clear sky, and he didn't hear Navi's shout. He bumped into someone almost at the run, and his head snapped round to see the Mask salesman stumbling and waving his arms.

'Sorry, sorry...' He dashed round, his face red, and helped pick up the masks he had scattered. 'Are you going somewhere?' He asked politely as he handed them back, for the man was wearing a huge backpack. He glanced at the masks as the man took them, and his gaze was caught by a strange, heart shaped mask, adorned with horns and painted in gaudy colours. The bright yellow eyes seemed to gaze right through him for a second. It seemed out of place somehow.

'I am just going travelling. I have something important to do.' The salesman smiled at him. Link walked with him to the edge of the square, still gazing around. He saw the couple spinning by the well and he blushed. The pair had always annoyed him for some reason he could never define, and now his adult brain was hoping that he and Malon would never be quite as insufferable to be around.

They reached the road to the field, and the salesman stopped. He bowed to Link, accepted no apology for being knocked over, and shook his hand. 'Everyone has their own journey. I must be going now on mine, but I am sure I will see you again. As for your own journey, just have faith...' and he was gone.

Link frowned after him. 'What a strange man.'

Navi laughed at his expression. 'I wonder if he ever stops smiling? You could take lessons!' The return to a peacful time seemed to have put her in a much better mood. 'Come on, we have to find that lens!'

Link stared behind him, at the white towers of Hyrule Castle, and he was lost in thought for a moment. 'Sorry. Let's go.'

\----

_Malon woke suddenly to a great crashing noise. The rain still drummed on the roof, but the intensity of the storm was almost gone. She threw on her nightshirt, boots, cloak, grabbed a lantern and ventured outside, feeling equal parts brave and stupid. The horses were neighing in fear, the din from the stables huge, and she went in to soothe her animals. She patted necks, whispered to them, and gradually they calmed down. A look round confirmed that nothing was missing or broken, and she frowned as she stepped back out into the small hours of the morning._

_Something caught her eye, reflected the lantern light, and she took a few hesitant steps toward the field. Raising the lantern as high as she could, she gasped. A great furrow had been gouged across the centre of the field, the earth had been churned and spat out by the passing of something monstrous. She gathered herself, and walked further out. The trail had smashed its way straight through the outer wall of the ranch, leaving a great, chewed gap behind. Stones and timber were spread across the field in a fan, and her gaze followed the track to the corrall, where the fence had been ripped up and thrown to the wind. Looking the other way, it looked like the trail had come in a straight line from Kakariko Village, and clearly hadn't bothered changing direction when faced with a wall. The others had woken, she could hear them shouting behind her, the shouts gettind louder as they saw the state of the field. Kafei and Ingo came running towards her, but she stayed where she was, staring out into the rain. She shivered. Where was Link when you needed him?_

\----

Link clambered up the rungs of the ladder. They were slick with water and slime, the water had rusted the points where they were diven into the stone, but he forced himself upwards towards the sunlight. He reached the top and dragged himself over the edge, panting. He lay in the sun for a while, ignoring the confused looks from the villagers. Eventually he shooed a curious cucco away and sat up, wiping his slimy hands on the grass. It was hard to believe he was out, back in the peacefulness of village life, when only a hundred feet below the tunnels, dank and dripping, writhed with horrors. He shuddered, reached into his pouch for the lens, and turned it over in his hands. It had surprised him, it looked flimsy and useless, but if he looked through it and screwed his face up, he could see the world as it really was. Not that that was a blessing, certainly not down there. Navi had been quiet, but she smiled at him.

'Well, we got it.'

Link said nothing, staring at the lens. Then he stuck his tongue out. 'I drank that water once.' and the fairy fell to the ground in hopeless laughter. It wasn't that funny, but anything was better than the quiet, the gloom, and the skeletons at the bottom of the well.

'I suppose the Shadow Temple will be the same sort of thing.' He didn't like the sound of that. He had been scared down in the dark, though he wouldn't admit it, and didn't relish the idea of more. He sighed and climbed to his feet. 'I wish we could stay here. It's peaceful.'

'You know we can't. In a few days Ganondorf is going to take control and everything will change. We would do well not to be caught up in that.'

He knew she was right, but with a child's body came thinking like a child, and he wanted to stay in the light, slip back into his old life, shy away from the trials of the future. He shook himself. This was no way for a hero to think.

The sun was heading down through the afternoon, towards the horizon. Sunset, the day after he had left before. It was a strange feeling, knowing how the future would unfold, and he argued with Navi about it.

'Maybe if I told people about it...'

'It wouldn't make any difference. Remember you're ten years old, even if anyone did listen to you, do you think they'd up and leave just like that? Besides, even if the army was prepared, that would mean the future would be different. And we've been there. We know how things happen and there's nothing we can do about it.'

He glowered at her. Time travel was a good idea in theory, but in practise it was needlessly confusing. 'I still don't understand how we can take this lens through time and I won't have had it all along. And I swear if you say 'magic' again I'll have a fit.' She shut her mouth.

He looked away to avoid talking to her, and his gaze alighted on the ranch. Peaceful, prosperous, all his memories of lazy, happy days were real, and not far away. He remembered what she had told him, a few days ago or a few years in the future, and started to run towards it. Navi shouted at him. 'Hey! Where are you going?'

'There's something I have to do first!'

\----

He ran under the arch, the sun beating down again. Cuccos were loud in the house, horses ran free in the distance, and, far off, a familiar voice singing. He smiled, couldn't help laughing. It was just as he remembered it! Yet the ground was solid under his feet, the sun warm, it was real, as if he had jumped into his own memories. He grinned as he ran out into the corrall, and ahead of him was red hair hanging almost to the ground. She turned as he approached, and laughed.

'Fairy boy! You're back!' her voice was familiar, exactly as he remembered it, but not what he currently associated with her. It was a strange feeling, talking to someone in the past.

'I told you I wouldn't be long.' He couldn't help grinning. It was real.

'What did the princess say?' her eyes were wide again, wanting to hear about the castle.

He told her roughly what had happened, that the princess had given him something else to do, a new ocarina, and all the time his high spirits ebbed away. He knew he would have to make his excuses and leave soon, and though he would see her again, he knew he was leaving her to years of pain and sadness. He wanted to tell her everything, but couldn't bring himself to puncture her smile. They chatted for a while, and again he was distracted. It was so hard talking to her now, with his mind full of memories of the future. She mentioned the storm that had sprung up the day before, and he immediately recalled the feeling of her body pressed against his in the rain, except it wasn't his body, nor was it hers, not right now, and he was terribly confused.

'What is it fairy boy? You aren't saying much!' He looked down and blushed.

'I um... I have, that is, the princess gave me something else to do.'

'Really? Tell me!' Her eyes shone at him with excitement.

'I... I have to go away for a while. On a journey.' It was so hard to get the words out, damn it all, and he stumbled.

'Oh.' She seemed to deflate. 'Well, will you be long? You'll always be welcome here.'

He took a deep breath. In a way it was easy, he knew what he was going to say already, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt to upset her.

'I'll be gone... for a while. Quite a... long while.' He finished lamely. Seven years he thought, just say seven years, but that would hurt her more.

'I suppose this is some important journey? Maybe it'll make you more of a hero!' She was smiling again. 'I'm sure I can manage without you bothering me for a few weeks.'

He felt wretched. 'Um, probably a bit longer than that. I don't know.' Coward!

She laughed at him. 'Well, I'll still be here!' and she twirled in the grass.

He looked at her, suddenly sad, remembering her face in the stable, red and lined with tears. 'I know you will. Just one last thing. No matter how long I'm away for, I will be back. I promise. You'll see me again.' The mask man's words came to his head and he smiled sadly. 'Just have faith.'

She was looking at him curiously. 'It's almost as though you expect something bad to happen, fairy boy!' His stomach wrenched, twisted itself around, but he said nothing. 'Well, I'll wait. You'd better not be too long though.'

He said he wouldn't, an empty lie, and she stepped closer to mess up his fringe.

'Well, I'll be here. Go and be a hero, fairy boy.' She smiled at him and his heart curled up. He would, and he would see her again. That much was certain.

'I'll be back,' he shouted as he ran off. 'I promise, I'll be back!' She waved at him, and he ran faster. He had learnt to hate long goodbyes.

He stopped outside the gate, put his head in his hands for a second. Navi poked her head out and looked at him. 'Are you alright?'

He raised his head, pulling his palms across his face. 'Yeah. I'm fine. That was... strange.'

Navi said nothing. She couldn't imagine how he was feeling. 'You'll see her again. That's certain.'

'Yeah...' He shook himself, took a deep breath. 'Come on. Let's put that lens to use.' He glanced round, at the hillside where, only yesterday, he had run towards the castle thinking it was over. He looked for a second at a spot slightly further off, where white flowers were beginning to grow, then ran down the road towards the darkness.


	6. Chapter 6: Shadow

Link rolled his shoulders, stretching aching muscles. Unsure of how much more of this he could take, he looked for Navi. It wasn't hard, her glow was the brightest light he had seen for half a day. She easily overpowered the feeble torches he had lit, but even her light seemed dim here. She was as shaken as he was.

Nothing had prepared them for this, not even the creeping darkness at the bottom of the well. They had returned to the future in a burst of light, he had scaled the wall at the back of the graveyard to discover a fissure in the wall, and he had used the little magic the fairies had taught him to wave a rope of fire among the torches, opening the heavy vault door to the temple. The very air behind had seemed dead, and instantly the temple had tricked them, a false wall revealed to be air by the magic lens. They had stumbled deeper, peering desperately through the frail glass, hands clawed at them from the earth, skeletons rose and laughed at them, voices in the air, and all the time the darkness that lay heavier than the thickest blanket. They had come to this feast of horrors unprepared, and it was taking its toll.

Link, growing up among the Kokiri, had not heard many of the Hylian legends, but Navi was well versed in history and recognised many monsters, many motifs and shapes in the air, from old legends of death. She had considered sharing this useful knowledge to lighten the mood with conversation, but a glance at Link's ashen face and she had decided against it.

Link looked up at her, resting for a moment, and was about to say something when the mist in front whirled, twitching itself into a hooded figure that rushed at him silently, a massive scythe raised, and he roared, the great sword swung up in a deperate parry, then struck sparks from the wall. Navi screamed at him and he blinked.

'What, what was it?'

'I... I thought there was something...'

He glanced behind, nothing. The sword point scraped down the stone to rest on the ground again. He was shaken by the incident. If his mind was starting to play tricks on him now, how would he ever reach the end?

'Are you alright?' Navi floated closer and by the light she could see his face was white as chalk.

'Yeah...' He rubbed his face, as if he could force his eyes into working properly. 'Remember what I said in that dingy little room in the water temple?' She forced a laugh, but the sound was deadened in the thick air, lost to the darkness.

'Come on, there's light at the end of this passage.'

Link crept out into a large room, glancing around, paying special attention to his shadow. He had had the fright of his life when a rotten hand, the size of a dog and tough as leather, had dropped on him from above earlier. Only his instinctive vertical sword thrust had saved him, and now he was taking no chances. A pair of hooded figures reared twenty feet high on the wall, and he glared at them before accepting the existence of statues.

'Whatever this place is, it looks important...' Navi was nervous. She had drawn too many parallels between the temple and the legends to be comfortable in an important room. Link stepped forward, trying to make out the far wall, then looked down. He stood on an edge that ran left and right as far as the eye could see. It was as if the temple had been cut by a massive blade and half of it had fallen away here, except he looked again and started. The gap was filled with water that curled like mist, utterly silent. He walked upstream for a bit and found a platform, artfully carved and obviously of importance, that jutted out slightly over the silent waters. Navi fretted as he climbed the steps and looked surprised at the triforce symbol, glowing gold on the floor.

'I think this is our way forward.'

She was silent as he played his ocarina, the notes of Zelda's song lingering longer than any other sound in the darkness, then as the last note died there was a deep clang from the shadows of the river.

'Link...'

'Please, don't say it.'

'You know what I'm going to say?'

He shut his eyes for a second. 'Even I've heard of this. After death, the boatman takes you across the river into the underworld.'

There was silence between them, and they could hear the sounds of far off chains growing nearer.

'I just never thought it was real. Sheik didn't tell us everything. This place isn't just a seal...'

The mist ahead parted, a massive boat drew towards them. The deck was wide and flat, with no barriers at the side, the prow was a statue of a tall man gripping an elaborate scythe, hooded and swathed in robes that flowed into the front of the ship seamlessly, and he was not sure that it was only stone. The whole thing was driven by huge wheels that silently ploughed the misty waters.

'...it's a bridge.'

'Link, I'm... not so sure about this. What if there's no way back?'

'There's no way back anyway. We can't get out the way we came, the only way out is forward.'

'Aren't you scared?'

'Of course I am.' His face was still stark white, but his jaw was set, his grip on the sword handle was steady. She didn't say any more. If he was crossing the dark river, she was going to be with him every step of the way.

The scythe on the statue held a vast bell at the tip, and as the boat bumped into the platform, it clanged sonorously. Just once, but the sound reverberated oddly from the walls and seemed to last forever.

Link gazed up at the prow, and tried to convince himself the head of the statue had not just turned to stare at him, and just happened to be facing that way. 'What is it with this place and scythes?' he grumbled to himself, then took a step onto the deck. Instantly the boat lurched forward, and he nearly lost his footing. He stumbled to the centre of the deck, and watched the platform being swallowed up by the mist. The boat seemed to be following the edge of the river he had stood on earlier, then the wall rose up and the door and statues were all lost to sight. He lowered the sword, tempted to relax.

'Link! Above!'

His head whipped up, hurting his neck, and he leapt to the side to avoid the rusty blade. a Stalfos had dropped onto the boat, and the eye sockets flared as it withdrew the crooked steel into a fighting stance. Two more dropped onto the deck behind it, the skulls grinning horribly in the darkness. Link's eyes darted, and he brought his shield round. Three at once he was unsure about, but he had fought these before. The first, largest skeleton suddenly rushed him, ramming with its shield, and the shields met with a clang. The blade flickered out, Link stepped to the side to avoid it, let it come, and thrust his own sword out, but the skeleton was quick and drew back behind the shield again. He was surprised, the creature was cunning, fast, and he flicked his blade out to test it. The Master Sword was swatted contemptuously aside, and he had to swing his shield round clumsily to block the counter. The skeleton was confident, tough and skilled, and he wondered vaguely if it had been a champion in life, and if the skills were remembered afterwards. It was certainly nothing like the shambling monsters he had fought in the forest temple, they had swung wildly, hopeless in defence, but this was like hitting a wall. They circled each other, blades probing at defenses. The warrior seemed unfazed by his opponent. Most enemies were confused at meeting a left-handed swordsman, giving him a second's advantage, but it seemed not to care, and Link felt the first flicker of fear in his stomach. He couldn't fence, and the Stalfos seemed to be a master.

I will die here, he thought, on this ferry of death, and for a second he thought again of the girl at the ranch, her red hair flamed through the darkness, and he could not bear the thought that he wouldn't return to her, and with that thought came the sparks of a great anger. Only anger could defeat a swordsman such as this, and Navi noticed the change in him as he stopped trying to fence and started to fight. She glanced round. The smaller skeletons had stayed back, watching the fight, but now one of them was running, bones clicking together, towards Link's back.

'Look out! Behind!' She flew into the largest Stalfos's eyes, blinding it for a vital second, and Link kicked its shield, driving it backwards so he could turn and fight the interloper. The anger was with him now, and he crouched, waiting as the enemy drew nearer. When the gap had closed to six feet he shouted, ran forward himself, and the skeleton was caught off guard. Link ducked, his shield up, and the skeleton ran straight on to it. He heaved, flipping it over his shoulder, and it hit the ground with a crash as if someone had dropped a bag of dice. The huge sword swept down, crunching on the skull and it writhed in pain, out of the fight. The big Stalfos had swatted Navi away, and Link, the anger still strong, ran at it. Only anger could take a man into the reach of those wicked blades and succeed, and he parried the confident thrust with a roar. He was inside the monster's reach now, his fingers scrabbled at the rim of his enemy's shield, wrenching it aside, and the eye sockets flared in alarm as the heavy sword hilt crunched against the skull. He hammered furiously at the creature's head, the mouth opened in silent protest, and it was falling back. He followed it, kicking the shield aside, and swung the great sword round in a mighty blow that crushed the skull completely, shattering it into dust as the fire died.

He swung round to face the last Stalfos, which was looking at him as if in shock. Then the skull leered at him, and five more skeletons dropped from the roof. Link checked mid charge, more skeletons were pouring down, the stern of the boat resembled a heaving tide of bones and cruel blades, and Navi shouted to him.

'Link! Time to get off!' She was floating just off the side of the boat, he saw the wall had passed and he ran, forcing his aching limbs into a sprint. More warriors fell, blades flashed, he ducked and dodged, running for the light, and when he reached the end he didn't stop but simply launched himself into space. He fell, legs pumping at the air, the dark river rushing up to meet him, then he hit the ground, rolled and slid to a stop. He looked behind as the boat, suprisingly fast, vanished into the mist, taking its cargo with it.

He lay there for a minute, panting for breath, then groaned as he sat up.

'That one nearly had me.' he admitted.

'Well, if you stopped trying to fight like a gentleman you wouldn't be caught off guard like that.' Navi was shaken, but determined not to show it.

'Now come on, this must be nearly it.'

Link stood and brushed himself off absent mindedly. Another statue loomed out of the mist at him, and ahead was a great abyss in the ground. He sighed and reached into his pack for the lens, hoping it wasn't broken. The oppressive silence of the river had lifted, and he wasn't sure if he welcomed the return of the voices that whispered at him. He shivered.

'Let's just get out of here.'

\----

Work on the ranch had slowed while the tear in the wall was patched. Luckily Link and Talon had stacked and sorted spare materials only a few days before. Malon had been left to look after the animals while the men patched the hole roughly. It would do as a temporary measure. The field still swarmed with ghosts and monsters at night, they had taken their turns the previous night to stand guard with torches and pitchforks through the long hours, but nothing had come. It had been two days since Malon had woken to a crash, and she was still nervous. Whatever it was had been hugely powerful, and she was scared for her friends standing by the gaps. She kept an eye on them, the timbers were wet and heavy from the storm and she wasn't sure her meagre medical skill would save a crushed limb.

At least the weather had cleared up. The storm had blown out shortly after the wall was destroyed, and while the day after had been damp, the night had been warm and now today the sun was blazing, as if in apology for letting the rain go on so long. Her mood had lifted, as if a weight had left her shoulders, and even the shadows seemed lighter than they had been. If only Link was here, she thought, then flushed. It was stupid to get her hopes up, he might be gone a long time, but she couldn't wait to see him again, see him grinning at her from under his fringe, jump into his arms, and somehow in her imagination they were always alone when he returned and she blushed deeper at her dreams. It was stupid to dwell on someone who was gone, she knew, but her imagination kept serving up image after image, long into the night, and while she told herself it was nonsense, a part of her lived in hope that one day they might be realised.

She was smiling to herself, singing a tune as she led Epona back to the stable, then her eye caught a flash of green in the alley between the buildings. Her heart leapt into her mouth, her stomach instantly filled with butterflies. Just as in her mind's eye he was here in the sun, they were unwatched, and she ran, laughing towards him.

'Link!' She smiled and kept running, but something was wrong. He wasn't running to meet her, he wasn't smiling, and she slowed, nervous. What had happened? Was he embarassed to see her, was he having doubts about being in a relationship? Then she saw his face, white as snow under the sun, and the slump of his shoulders, and chided herself for being so selfish. He raised a hand to her and she slowed in front of him.

'Link? Are you ok?' she frowned.

'Hi. Yes. Yeah, I'm fine.'

'You don't... look so good.' Her eyes swept him over for injuries but aside from a few tears and scrapes she could see nothing serious. She felt slightly out of her depth, the beginnings of fear flickered at the edges of her mind. 'What's wrong?'

'I just... I missed you. You know that?' She frowned again, her heart churning in her chest. what was wrong? He seemed so distracted, and she caught the way his head was twitching from side to side, his eyes were wide and she couldn't recall him blinking since he had arrived. He stared into a shadow with revulsion on his face, then his attention seemed to come back round to earth again.

'I uh... I haven't slept much. Recently. At all.' That was true, he hadn't slept in days, hadn't dared to. He had left the temple, tumbled down to the graveyard and walked, unseeing into the field. 'Do you think you would mind if maybe I stayed for a little while. Please. A bed maybe.'

His voice was flat, lifeless, and she was really scared now. She hadn't expected this. He was babbling, didn't seem to see his surroundings properly.

'Of course you can stay but what- Link!' He had sunk to his knees as she spoke, relief clear on his face, and she had run forward to catch him. He was heavy, not supporting himself at all, and she trembled slightly.

'Thank you.' His head flopped back to gaze at her face, and to him it was as if the sun had come out again.

'I missed you.' And he fell, unconsious, onto his back. She grabbed at his tunic, frantically checked his pulse, frighteningly weak, and shouted for help. Navi poked blearily out from his fringe at the sound.

'Oh good. He made it.'

\----

Hands reached for him, rotting, broken hands stretching from the shadows, and he shuddered, ran, crashing through doors like paper, only to find more reaching bodies, faces blank and staring, mouths agape too far to be real, breath rattling from dry throats, and he was a child again, raising his hands to ward them off, except his hands were rotting too. He stared at them, his stomach jolted and he whirled away into the darkness. Down, down into the velvety blackness, then Malon took his hand, suddenly whole again. He stood with her in the dark, glanced round, and when he looked back he recoiled in horror. Her hair was falling from her scalp, her skin flaking and falling away to reveal rotting flesh and yellow bone, and he screamed, thrashing helplessly against her iron grip as she leaned towards him, his legs were tangled and he was falling again, flailing in midair, then his head jerked up into the light and he knocked aside the hand that hovered over him. He sat up, gasping, looking around cautiously. He was in the spare room in the ranch, sunset filtering through the shutters, and Malon was looking at him in surprise. It had been her hand he knocked away, but he wasn't going to apologise yet. He glared at her wide eyed expression, daring her skin to stay in one piece, then reached out and tugged part of her fringe.

'Um. How are you feeling?'

He didn't reply, suddenly concious that his shirt and tunic were gone, folded neatly on a chair, and he felt horribly self aware. He didn't want Malon to look at him and he lay back, pulling the blanket to his chin.

'I'm fine, thank you.' he closed his eyes again. He was silent for a second, then his eyes snapped open. 'Your hair had better still be there.'

She was utterly bewildered. 'Of course it is.'

'Stay that way.' he mumbled, and fell silent again.

Malon looked at him sadly. He looked like the boy she remembered again, his face white. Navi raised her head from the pile of clothes and equipment.

'Don't think badly of him. That last temple... we weren't prepared.'

'What was it like in there?'

Navi considered for a moment, the darkness, the voices, the visions, monsters, blades, shadows, and the journey into death. Maybe that wasn't a prudent thing to mention right now. She shrugged.

'It was bad.' she said simply.

Malon said nothing. Navi had told her in detail of the other temples, but if she was silent now she wouldn't push it. Maybe she would find out someday. She looked back at Link, his face scrunched into a frown, and he twitched his head to the side. She wanted to help him, but there were no wounds to dress. She had seen his body when they had lifted him into the bed, and though a small part of her had girlishly noticed the strong muscles that covered his lean frame, it had been outweighed by sadness as she saw the numerous scars and cuts. The scars from the dragon's claws were red on his back, his arms and legs were covered in bruises, his temple was matted with blood she had meticulously cleaned away. She gazed sadly at his face, wondering what was going on in his head, and drew her legs up in the sunset.

\----

Back on the ferry, his feet dancing as he fought the skeleton. More were falling from the sky, kept coming forward, and his sword crushed skulls that were replaced instantly by flaming heads, laughing at him, and still they came, the deck stretching impossibly into the distance, filled with writhing dead. Fear gnawed at him, and the prow statue, looming more massively than it had before, turned. The eye sockets threw red light onto the deck, piercing beams that searched and searched, and the huge blade was sweeping the deck, urged on by the nameless creatures that swarmed in the shadows. It swept the bodies of the dead away like chaff, he twisted madly to avoid it, shouted, but it was too late, the shadows caught the fairy and Navi was gone, the voices in the air chittering their victory. He roared at them but the sword was heavy, too heavy, and bony hands caught at him, swarmed him so he couldn't move. It was like being trapped in a wall, except he could feel some nameless presence moving closer that seemed to push the utter darkness in front of it, and he cringed from it, the feeling was palpable in the room. He wondered when he had arrived in a room, then forgot about it.

Something was happening, the tide of clammy flesh heaved and the reDeads parted, leaving Malon kneeling on the flagstones. He yelled at her, told her to run, but the big Stalfos was there, and she wasn't moving. He stared in horror as the sword flashed down, bit, and her scream pierced his heart, he was sobbing in impotent rage as the blades rose and fell, hacking her to pieces. He closed his eyes but could still see, and he pushed, roaring, at the wall of hands and it moved, he erupted once more into the light.

She was looking at him again, the same expression as earlier, but something was wrong, the shadows were filled with the taunting faces, they laughed at him, his arms were still dead weight, and the shadows crept forward to smother the window. How had they followed him here? Then he noticed Malon was still staring, her eyes wider than ever, and at her throat was a necklace of rubies, except it wasn't rubies. Flecks of blood on pale skin, and she was dead here too, lying cold on the snow with her hair in a great fan on the ground. He sank to his knees, raised her head and pressed it to him, great sobs wracking his body as he rocked back and forth. He wound his hand into her hair, still so soft, and cried as he never thought a man could cry. The beast in his chest that had growled when he kissed her was roaring now, tearing apart its prison with grief, and he wished he could feel nothing. Her face was cold where it pushed against his forehead and he let the tears come. Cold skin, somehow wet, and he did not understand.

'I don't know what else I can do.'

Malon was tired, her nerves shot. She had stayed up most of the night, snatching a few hours of sleep, and now she was back. She knew she had to tend the farm while the wall was rebuilt, she didn't want to leave but habit kicked in, anything to distract her, and she had darted between the buildings, checking in every few minutes. It wasn't fair to leave the work to the others, they had a wall to build and she had animals to look after, but she kept coming back to the dim room where the shutters were drawn. Now she had stayed, pressed a wet cloth to his forehead, almost in tears at her own uselessness.

Talon laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. 'Mal, come on. You need your strength too, come and have some lunch.'

She didn't react.

'Come on. He won't thank you if you starve yourself on his account. You need some rest.'

'I don't know what else to do.' Her voice was thick, and she frantically pressed the wet cloth to his head. He was so cold, but his forehead was burning and she could at least help with that. Talon looked at her sadly, took the cloth from her unresisting hand.

'Come on lass. He's strong, he'll manage without you for a while. We're worried about you too, come and eat.' He led her gently from the room, and glanced back at the bed. He sincerely hoped the young man would get better soon. Having only a single child, he felt constantly protective of young people, and he was as worried as she was. Beyond that impulse, he had seen the way his daughter looked at the young hero, and hoped he would get better for her sake, if not the rest of the world's. Still, his rock solid common sense kicked in, she would do no good by starving herself, and he shut the door.

\----

The cold was gone, he opened his eyes to find Malon's body had melted into the air, and he looked frantically round for any sign of her. He tried to get up but his legs were numbed by the snow, and he twisted about angrily as darkness fell on the snowfield. Ash blew in with the snow, leaving black marks on the pristine landscape, and he frowned as the blackness grew around him. The darkness curled in front like a fog, rising and twisting into a column that suddenly blew out and he was there, the Evil King, at least ten feet tall and laughing, his head ringed with purple flames, and Link yelled as he scrambled backwards. He was a boy again, small and helpless, and the rain mixed with the ash and he knew it was the same, familiar nightmare that had plagued him for the months before this journey had even begun. The laughter grew, the hand rose, and Link was running, running from the lightning that crackled round his feet, running madly into the blackness. He ran faster than he had ever run before, the landscape around him twisted into half formed shapes, old memories and nonsensical creatures, and always the faces laughed and cackled at him from the shadows. He kept running, flinching from the cruel faces, but they raced up into his own shadow and suddenly he was no longer running but falling, falling from the deck of the ferry into the silent river, falling down and down into blackness that crushed like rock, and the monsters followed him into the depths.

Malon looked sadly at him from where she leant on the doorframe. She had come to check on him as everyone went to bed, and he didn't seem to have gotten better. He was thrashing around, his legs twisting the blankets, arms clawing at the air, and she felt again the utter helplessness. She turned to the main room to say goodnight to her friends, and for a second she saw Talon's face stretched in an echo of the worry that gnawed at her own soul. He was worried about both of them, though he would never admit it. In addition to the state of the young man in the spare room, his daughter's face was crumpled, her eyes red and shadowed, even her nightdress seemed to just hang untidily from her slumped shoulders. He hugged her warmly, whispered reassuring words, and chivvied everyone upstairs. Kafei would have to find somewhere else to sleep for now, Link should be left in peace. Malon bit her lip as she closed her own door. She didn't want to leave him alone downstairs, but she was so tired.

Despite that, she tossed and turned in bed for an hour with no result. Eventually she gave up and with a huff, blew a strand of her hair out of her face. She was too worried to sleep, and she eased her door open. Everything was quiet, and she darted down the stairs, keeping to the edges of the steps to avoid making a noise. She would look after him again all night if she had to, even the small act of wiping his forehead seemed worthwhile. Painfully slowly, she peered through the door. He was still again, almost too still, and her heart was in her throat. She darted to his side and felt his neck frantically. A pulse still beat, weak but still there, and his skin was cold as marble. She felt like shouting for help again, but didn't know what anyone could do. She bit her lip some more, dabbed at his forehead, sat in the chair feeling useless once again. He twitched and she watched intently for a second, but he was still again. It looked like the twitch that wakes a dreamer from a dream of falling, but he hadn't woken, and she felt the fear that she had been ignoring gnaw at her chest again. She glanced round the room.

What could she do? More blankets? But he would throw them off just as he had these ones. His face looked so sad in the moonlight, and she leaned closer to him. She had expected him back laughing, and full of life, and now he looked for all the world like a corpse. She stroked a strand of hair away from his face, her hand stayed on his cheek, and his head twitched towards it. Unbidden, the memory of their first kiss in the storm filled her mind, and, her heart breaking, she leant to kiss him again. His skin was freezing, covered in a thin sheen of sweat, and she rested her forehead on his and tried to stem the sobs that shuddered through her. She glared at him, suddenly angry.

'Don't give up on me. Don't you dare.' and kissed him again, her tears falling silently onto his face, and he twitched again, mumbled something at the edge of hearing, and her heart rose. Stroking his cheek, she noticed how his head moved towards her, and suddenly knew what she could do for him. Glancing around quickly at the subdued glow on the pile of clothing, she made sure Navi was asleep. Heart pounding, she raised the blankets and slid between them, curling up to him, resting her head on his bare chest, and she held him tight. She wondered if this was a good idea, she resolved not to fall asleep but it was comforting to have him close, and her eyelids drooped. She wriggled closer to him and relaxed.

\----

Link was falling, down into the river, the shadows grasping at him, plucking his clothes, and he roared helplessly at them, kicking and clawing, but nothing slowed his fall. As he fell deeper he could feel memories fading, his ties to life were slipping away, and a great anger filled him. He writhed in the dark, but there was nothing to grab, his rage was useless against the taunting shadows. I will not die like this! he screamed to the velvet that smothered him, but it didn't care, and he shouted again in anger, then a warm breeze passed his cheek and he swung round, the shadows gibbering, suddenly unsure.

He tried to force himself to fall in the direction it had come from, it was no use, then it came again and he felt himself slowing, though there was nothing to measure his descent against. The nightmare faces were screaming at him now, writhing about each other in panic, forcing him down and then an explosion of warmth, the most wonderful heat, the feeling of a summer day blazed across his lips, and he smiled. Something was happening, he didn't know what, but a shadow corkscrewed towards him, he grabbed at it and it was caught! It struggled in his grip, he felt it escaping, then the warmth came again, a taste of honey that was somehow familiar, and the warmth flared for a second in his arms as he tore the shadow to shreds. Its companions were shrieking now, shrieking in terror, and he felt the fall slow even more. He was still lost, but something was giving him a chance and he fought back, the shadows boiling around him, and then miraculously, he could feel the sensation of skin on his. A warm body curled next to him, and he let out a triumphant shout that carried him up, back through the darkness, tearing through monsters, accelerating, and his head broke the surface of the river to scream his victory at the sky. I will not die here! The shadows retreated, the images blurred and mixed, and what had been a ferry of death smudged like ink dropped into water, swirled, blurred, and resolved itself into a pale expanse of white plaster.

He blinked. Everything was quiet, dark still, but a comforting darkness, safe, the shadows here were just that, shadows. He lay for a while, feeling nothing but relief, the nightmares fading. Pure joy at being alive filled his mind, then he winced as he realised his head was pounding fit to burst. He went to rub his hand against his forehead, then paused. Something was in the way, something warm, and as the feeling rushed back across his skin he realised that the warm body that had saved him was here, next to him. He looked down and his stomach turned to ice at the sight of hair, flaming red even in the small light. She had saved him, the simple gift of her presence had pulled him from an abyss, but now that was behind him and the present was here, terrifyingly real, somehow worse than the nightmares. What did he do? Supposing she woke up? What would he say? A fresh wave of panic flooded his brain as he realised he was still only in breeches, Malon's face and curled hand were resting on his bare chest. He lay still, almost too scared to breathe in case he disturbed her, and the old emotions he had thought gone started to twist at his stomach again.

New feelings, raw and exciting, again unfamiliar, and he was nervous. His heart hammered, back to full strength. He was terribly embarassed to be here, though the core of his mind danced in glee. Maybe he could quietly disentagle himself, move to the chair that was nearby, and that seemed a good idea, though he made no move to attempt it. Not that he minded her being here, of course, but she had to have seen him flailing around in his sleep and he felt ashamed of himself. A scared man having bad dreams wasn't very impressive, yet still she had climbed next to him, and that thought made him feel extraordinarily pleased with himself, and he gathered his courage to stroke her hair lightly. She stirred at his touch and he froze, the retreating ice crashed back into his stomach, and the twisting emotions were forced into his chest, dancing fiery trails round his heart. She raised her head slowly, her eyes were bleary with sleep, but she smiled at him.

'Link... are you feeling better?'

He gaped for a second, his tongue felt like it had swollen to fill his mouth, but he managed to stammer a reply.

'Much better. Thank you.'

She smiled sleepily at him, pleased with the answer, and her body was filled with relief. He was back in the real world, somehow she had done it, and now he was concious again she knew she should leave, but it was so warm and comfortable here...

'Malon?' He seemed nervous.

'Mmm?'

'Thank you.' Her beauty was evident even in the small light, with her eyes squinting half shut, and her hair falling over her face, and his heart was filled with longing and gratefulness that he didn't have the words for, so he pulled her head closer and kissed her. She was warm and sleepy, and she sighed into his mouth as she crawled closer to him, all the pain and helplessness of the previous days forgotten. This was what she had hoped for on his return, just a kiss, and she smiled at him in the dark.

'No problem, fairy boy.'

He laughed at her old name for him, then his head fell back.

'How long was I out for?'

'Two days.'

'Two da- goddesses, it didn't feel like it!'

'You were asleep.' She mumbled at him, and shrugged, as if the days of fretting and nursing were a little thing, but he wouldn't know about that. He didn't seem to remember waking up before, and for a second she was tempted to tell him about how she had sat by his side, then dismissed the idea. It would probably just sound pathetic.

He mashed his hand against his forehead, looked round and smiled, reaching for a glass of water she had thoughtfully put in arms reach earlier in the day. He drank it hurriedly, the water running down his chin, but he didn't care. He hadn't drunk anything for two days. Two days! It had seemed like no time at all, and had seemed like forever at the same time.

They lay silently for a while, each fighting to appear calm and collected, each wrestling with the nerves that chewed at their stomachs. Link had no idea why he was feeling so strange, but some basic instinct told him that having a beautiful girl cuddling up to you in her nightdress was undeniably a good thing, and the unfamiliar emotions raging at him agreed heartily. Malon was nervous for a different reason, her heart hammered at her ribs and she told herself she should go, go back to her own bed, but she had dreamed in that very bed of lying in his arms for a night, and she stayed. Each wondered if they should say something, fighting heavy tongues, and they interrupted each other as they spoke at the same time.

'Oh, sorry, what did you-'

'No, you go first, sorry...'

Link gaped again.

'It's nothing. Sorry. What were you saying?'

'Nothing. Don't worry. Goodnight.'

He held her tighter and she responded, curling up against him, bodies understanding what words could not say, and she smiled. No more was said, and the bed was warm, comfortable, and her eyes drooped again as she felt his breathing slow. Just a few more minutes, she thought, then she really would have to leave.

\----

Malon opened her eyes, bleary from sleep, and stared uncomprehendingly at the patch of sunlight high on the wall. She watched it for a few minutes, then a cucco called and she snapped awake. She jerked her head away from the pillow, except it wasn't a pillow, it was skin, and her heart fluttered at the same time as she cursed herself. It was Link's chest, she had fallen asleep here! She knew she should have left after he woke up, but it had felt so natural to lie next to him she had fallen asleep again! Damn, damn, hell and damn! She hadn't wanted anyone to know of their feelings for each other, for some reason she couldn't quite explain to herself preferring to keep a secret, and now here she was in the same bed as him! Stupid, stupid, she chided herself, but it was only just dawn, she could probably sneak back to her bed and no one would be any the wiser.

She looked down at him for a second, sleeping peacefully for the first time in days, and then she was aware of a strange feeling on her back. In the night, his hand had unconciously moved from its resting place on her leg upwards, and she blushed furiously at the feeling of his rough hand on her bare skin. Gently, trying to hide a wide smile from no one but herself, she eased his hand back onto the blanket, and swung her long legs around. Listening hard, she guessed no one was up yet, there were no sounds of people bustling about the house. She could still make it back to her room and feign innocence, and she quickly kissed the sleeping boy on the cheek before slipping through the door. She shut it gently behind her, turned, and squeaked in terror as she came face to grinning face with Navi.

'What are you looking so guilty for?' The fairy was deeply amused.

Malon struggled to regain her composure for a second, then sniffed. 'I don't know what you mean. I was just checking on him.' She managed with as much aloofness as she could muster, sweeping up the stairs with her nose in the air. The fairy grinned at her and played her trump card.

'I don't sleep, you know.' Malon froze halfway up the stairs, her mouth moving silently, then she spun round.

'You mean you-'

'Oh calm down. I left under the door after you fell asleep. I won't tell anyone either.'

Malon blushed. 'Nothing happened, you know, I just gave him a hug-'

'Really, I won't tell anyone. I just wanted to thank you.'

Malon frowned. 'Thank me?'

'You might not have realised it, but you saved his sanity, maybe even his life. And I think that's worth a thank you. Now get up those stairs before anyone else gets up.'

Malon continued up the stairs and shut her door with her brow creased, and Navi smiled to herself. If she wasn't going to tell Link what she had done for him, someone should let her know that it had been important.

She flitted under the door to the spare room as the house woke up around her. Talon was shouting about something, and Link groaned into conciousness at the sound. Navi flew up to his face and he screwed his eyes up against the light.

'And how are you feeling?'

'My head feels like it's going to collapse.' He groaned again, then something occured to him and he glanced down, then round, looking confused. Navi smirked at him.

'She's gone.'

'Wher- I mean, who's gone? What are you talking about?' He blushed, and it was good to see colour returning to his face.

'You know exactly what I'm talking about. She had to leave so no one would find her here, don't worry.'

He glowered at her, rubbing his forehead.

'I hate you sometimes.'

'Hate is such a strong word.' She stuck her tongue out at him. He smiled weakly in return.

'Do you have to be so smug about it all the time? Prodding your nose into my personal business?'

'Well I had to find something to do while you were lazing around in bed. Now come on, you need your weekly scrap of food.'

'I am pretty hungry... was it really two days?' He struggled to push himself up on his elbows, and she sat on his hair.

'It was, and it was thoroughly boring watching you snore for the whole time. Now go and have some breakfast, you need your strength.'

He struggled out of bed and slowly pulled his tunic over his aching head. He could hear bustle in the main room now and pushed himself along the wall towards it. He opened the door and Talon's joyous shout of welcome felt as though it had driven his ears into his brain. He smiled weakly, pushed himself towards the table and was inundated with words, hands patting him on the back, and he nodded his thanks. He was pleased that they seemed to have been worried about him, it felt how he imagined having a family would feel. He eased himself onto a seat between Ingo and Kafei, the ranch hand seemed genuinely concerned for his wellbeing, while the other boy awkwardly mumbled something about being glad. He slumped in his chair slightly, still feeling the twinges from the temple, and despite the sleep feeling exhausted. Malon swept past, primly putting a plate in front of him.

'Welcome back to the land of the living.'

He grinned at her. 'I had some help.' He said it too low for anyone else to hear, and she tried to hide a smile. He gazed fondly after her for perhaps a second too long, when he looked away Kafei was frowning at him slightly, and he bent over his plate. He hadn't realised how hungry he was, and he wolfed down multiple helpings. The others talked about what to do that day, and he listened intently, keen to grab back onto normality. Talon was complaining about the holes in the wall, though they had been roughly patched he wanted it rebuilt, but the carpenters and masons weren't where they usually were. He had sent Kafei with a message but the houses were empty, and he grumbled.

'Mutoh's probably off chasing some woman and they've all run away.'

Malon rolled her eyes and smacked the back of his head. Link offered to help with the work but Ingo tutted at him, told him he should recover slowly, and Navi agreed. He muttered to himself for a while but conceded. He felt stronger after breakfast and wandered out onto the field with everyone else. The other split off to their jobs but he and Malon kept going together, and he gazed at the rough patch in the wall.

'Do you know what it was?'

Malon shrugged. 'It came a few days ago, when it was still raining. It left a track straight from the village but no, I didn't see it.'

Link stared at it for a second, then smiled. 'I don't think it'll trouble anyone again.'

She raised an eyebrow. 'Something to do with the temple?'

'If everything happened as it should, it must have been sealed with the rest of the bloody place.'

His voice was suddenly bitter, the memories of the temple seemed so unreal in the sunshine, but he knew they would never quite leave him. Certainly not while he slept. They stood in silence for a minute, then Link kicked at a daisy.

'I missed you, you know.'

She looked round at him, surprised by the sudden admission.

'I was scared to death, but I kept thinking about... how you would be waiting. It really helped.' He was stumbling over words again. Why was he saying this, making himself look like a fool!

She looked pleased. 'I missed you too.' She said simply, and her hand found his, their fingers twisted together. Her head rested on his shoulder for a second, and he squeezed her hand before she broke away, smiling.

'Come on. You need to forget that place, let's do something fun instead.'

'Don't you have things to do today?'

She laughed. 'Dad told me to look after you. I think he was more worried than he let on.'

Link was embarassed by everyone's concern, and he followed her silently around the corrall. She twirled through the grass ahead of him, her skirt billowing as she turned, singing a wordless song, and he smiled. This was the image he had kept alive in his head in the underworld, this girl in the bright sun, always happy, the smile that caused her eyes to sparkle always on her face, her musical voice raised in song. He remembered the last time he had been here, how they had giggled and flirted with each other all day, and recalled the feeling of absolute nervous terror the previous night when he had realised she was next to him. That feeling was bubbling in his chest again, watching her dancing about towards the stone building at the far end of the field, and his eyes swept over her almost unbidden. He took in the curve of her hips, the way the skirt teased glimpses of long legs, and his chest growled at him again. He remembered how she had looked in her nightdress, how she had looked at him fondly in the night, and he wondered vaguely how she would look without it. He felt heat rising in his cheeks at the thought, and pushed it to the edge of his mind where he could pretend to ignore it.

They reached the building, almost a tower, where the milk was stored. Link automatically made for the door, but Malon kept going, vanishing round the corner. He frowned, wondered what she was doing, and followed the sound of her voice, still humming a tune. A hand shot out, dragged him into the shadow, he was spun around and pushed against the wall and her lips were fierce on his, her body pressing hard against him, trapping him against the wall but he didn't mind, and he kissed her back. Her hands were gripping his hair almost painfully, her tongue, wonderfully soft, sliding round his mouth, and he squeezed her tight, lifting her almost off her feet. She broke away, gasping for breath, and he leaned closer to kiss her again, clumsily but passionately, and her hands were stroking his face as she leant all her weight against him. She laughed, biting his lip gently, then hit his chest.

'Don't... ever scare me like that again. Ever.'

He smiled, leant down to kiss her but she turned her head away in mock punishment, so he kissed her neck instead. Her skin was wonderfully soft, and she threw her head back to let him closer. She closed her eyes as he ran his lips up and down her neck, then for some reason he decided to nibble the soft skin under her ear and she gasped. His head snapped up.

'Are you ok?' He looked concerned at the strange noise she had made.

'Um. Um, yes, yes, I'm fine.' She flustered, a blush tinging her cheeks. She took a deep breath and grinned at him from under her long eyelashes. 'You should do that again sometime.'

His forehead wrinkled. 'I don't-'

She threw her head forward again, forcing him back against the wall as she kissed him hungrily, her heart suddenly fluttering harder than it ever had, her body warming in welcome places, her mind racing through all the late night hopes. She clawed at him with a new passion, then broke away, embarassed. He looked confused but pleased with her affection, and she grinned at him.

'Come on. Let's do something before anyone gets suspicious.' She reluctantly stepped away from him, her hand pulling him out of the shadow, and her head was in the clouds.

\----

'You're doing it wrong!'

Link grumbled to himself. Easy for her to say, she could practise this whenever she felt like it, but every time he urged it forward the horse shied away from the fence. He decided he preferred female horses.

'I don't do jumping. I do racing.'

'Really? I seem to remember beating you just now. With enough time left to get a drink, in fact.' She smiled at him from Epona's saddle. They had ridden the horses around for a while now, and she had indeed thrashed him in a race, but he was pretending not to remember.

'If you'd let me have Epona it would be different.'

'Bad workman blames his tools, Link. Besides, you aren't using your legs. Here, watch.'

She had hitched up her skirt to sit properly on the huge horse's back, her high boots gleaming at him, and now she wheeled Epona round to face the fence with a gentle touch from her heel, never a spur in her life. She urged the horse on, gripping with her legs to keep the path steady, then the massive muscles bunched and they soared effortlessly through the air, easily clearing the barrier, and she trotted back towards him with a huge smile.

'See? Squeeze with your legs and he'll do whatever you want!'

He was ungracious. 'I beat Ingo by myself, you know.'

Malon said nothing, she was pursing her lips to avoid looking hugely embarassed after realising what she had just said, but thankfully it again seemed to have passed straight over his head. He was looking at her and she coughed.

'I was watching you then. You were using your legs, but you must not have realised. I guess when it matters, you rely on instinct.' She laughed, rode alongside him and punched him on the arm. 'You're a natural cowboy, Link.'

He smiled. 'Good, I need to find something to do after this quest is over.' She looked at him, excitement flaring through her body.

'You mean-?'

'Well, it won't last forever, and I'll need something peaceful to do. Maybe I'll be a farmer or something.' He shrugged. He meant to say that he wanted to stay here with her, but the words seemed to struggle in his throat. 'I don't really know much about it though, other than watching you.'

'I can teach you, if you like.' She tried to sound nonchalant as she rode up to the corrall gate and slid off the horse. He clambered down far less gracefully, and leaned against the horse for a second, his head spinning. Maybe the race hadn't been a good idea, he felt horribly weak and sick at himself for not being able to hide it.

'Are you ok?' she touched his shoulder lightly, and he turned his face away.

'Yeah. Just... don't think I've recovered yet.' and she could see how the admission of weakness hurt him.

'You just haven't ridden a horse in a while. Go and have a rest, help yourself to any food in the house. I'll help the others.' She pushed him gently towards the house and he was grateful for the excuse. He squeezed her hand and left, rubbing his neck. She smiled after him until Epona blew her hair over her face and she laughed, stroked the horses nose and sang to her under the sun.

\----

'Link?' Malon opened the door a crack and peered into the house. He had rebuilt his temporary bed of straw and blankets by the fireplace, and was sprawled over it, fully dressed and completely dead to the world. Navi was resting on his chest and she caught Malon's eye and winked.

'He didn't want to get in the way. Cause any more inconvenience, I think were the exact words.'

Malon smiled. She shut the door on the last of the afternoon light, removed his hat and boots, heaved his limbs into a more comfortable position, and he twitched in his sleep.

'I don't think he'll be free of nightmares for a long time, but they won't be nearly as bad.'

'I'm glad.' She stroked his fringe out of his eyes.

Navi hated to break the silence, but perhaps it was better if she did it.

'Malon...'

'I know what you're going to say.' She looked resigned, her eyes were sad, looking him over slowly as if to fix the image in her mind forever. 'I always know it's coming, though I always hope it will never happen. You have to leave soon.'

Navi nodded, embarassed. 'We just have to free one more sage. One more! We're so close to the end, but I don't want to drag him away.'

'It's ok. The sooner you finish the quest, the sooner you can come back for good, right?' She half shrugged as if to suggest that she was fine with it, but the beginnings of a tear glimmered in her eye.

'I'm sorry.'

'Don't be. I'm as eager as anyone for the darkness to lift, so we can live in peace again, I just... sometimes I wish he'd just give up and stay here. I can't help but feel so selfish when I think that.'

They sat in silence for a while, until the sound of the others talking grew closer, and Malon jumped to her feet. She bustled round the table to prepare for the evening meal, the door flew open and Link started awake, glaring round until he realised where he was. The room filled with life, Talon was amused at Link trying not to get in the way, and Kafei mumbled an assurance that he didn't mind if Link had the bed, but he wouldn't hear of it.

'I've taken up far too much of your hospitality already. I won't be in your hair for much longer.'

Talon frowned at him. 'What do you mean by that, eh?'

Link bit his lip, glanced at Malon, and spoke to the floor. 'I have to leave soon. Again. Probably for the last time, but I spent too much time asleep. I need to get going.' He stole a look upwards, and was surprised to see how well Malon had taken the news.

'Well my boy, I can't say it isn't good having you, though we could do without the worrying!' Talon roared with laughter, his mood had improved greatly, and Link caught a massive slap on the back that made him wince. 'Are you feeling up to it?'

'I'm feeling much stronger-'

'Well a little more rest won't hurt! Have a meal, stay another night! You can leave in the morning if you have to, no one likes starting a journey at dusk!'

Link made a few feeble protests but was glad of the offer. He really wasn't feeling up to another temple, but a sense of duty urged him on. He was even feeling optimistic about it. A goddess of the sand couldn't be nearly as bad as the underworld itself, and he had caught himself earlier feeling almost eager to work his way on and get the quest over with. However, the food smelled good, and he stole another sneaky glance at Malon. He needed no excuse to stay near her for a little longer. He joined in with helping to cook, a vegetable stew that smelt rich and delicious and needed lots of hands to prepare, and when it was ready he contrived to sit next to Malon. Kafei looked put out as Link usurped his usual place, but said nothing, only glowering with jealousy.

The meal passed happily, it was warm in the candlelight, the food was good, and the laughter was unforced. Link knew at the back of his mind that they were going to extra effort for him, and while it made him feel bad to be given special treatment, he was touched. The feeling of belonging he had noticed earlier was stronger, and he began to regret his decision to leave so soon. It had to be done though, he wanted the quest over with so he could return for good. He looked sideways at Malon, her hair shining in the light, her skin seemed to glow with happiness, and her musical voice was raised in laughter at a joke Ingo had cracked. Maybe feeling as if he finally belonged somewhere wasn't so bad. She turned to him as he drank some of the wine Talon had generously opened, and every time he looked at her it struck him as though for the first time how beautiful she was. Large, deep blue eyes, a small curvy nose, and soft lips that were always stretched in amusement, and he felt the desire to feel those lips on his again. She smiled at him, the shadow of a wink, and he was embarassed. She could make him feel raging emotions with a glance, and he knew he was utterly smitten. He blushed into his wine. Maybe that was why he was feeling this way. He considered it for a moment, then drank some more.

Malon made use of his sitting next to her to bump his hand with hers as they ate, slightly more than was believable, but no one seemed to notice. The wine felt good, it warmed her and gave her confidence, even as her toes started going numb. She shifted closer to Link, sure that no one would notice, and their elbows were bumping constantly. She smiled at him and wondered how he felt. He bent to drink and without even considering it her leg jerked out and she rubbed her calf against his. She sensed him freeze for a split second, then his leg pressed back. They acted normally, she had turned to talk to her father, he was dutifully listening to another terrible joke from Ingo, and under the table she wrapped her foot around his ankle. He laughed at the joke and tried not to react to her foot rubbing up and down his leg. He felt his cheeks heating up yet again, and put it down to the wine.

Talon said something about letting Link get to sleep so he could get plenty of rest, and Malon turned to pout at him.

'I wish you didn't have to go so soon.' She blinked, realised that was maybe too unsubtle since everyone was listening, and stumbled out some more words. 'I mean, I get to look after you instead of doing any work!' Everyone laughed and he felt her thigh pressed against his, looked into her eyes and tried to act nonchalant.

'I can't thank you all enough for looking after me like this. Really. I mean, it's nice to have somewhere I know I'll be welcome. Um.' He blushed, he wasn't a good speechmaker at the best of times, and now the unfamiliar drink was slurring his words a little, making it hard to think. 'I mean, thank you. You didn't have to do any of this.' Talon looked at him, eyes crinkling with amusement.

'Boy, you're welcome here anytime. Besides! I'm sure everyone would consider it an honour to help you in this quest.' His words betrayed nothing of how protective he felt, and the danger he knew he put his ranch in by offering shelter. If the Evil King found out they had helped him, the ranch and all its people and animals would likely be destroyed utterly. Thankfully, none of the enemy patrols had come even close recently. He waved off Link's stammered thanks. 'Really. We're just doing what anyone would do if a skinny thing like you showed up on their doorstep. Now, we're all finished and you at least have a long day tomorrow, so get to bed. And don't leave without saying goodbye!'

He promised not to, Malon's leg withdrew sinuously from where it was tangled round his, and they cleared up the meal. For some reason, maybe the wine, he had an irrational hope that maybe Malon could sneak downstairs in the night again, but she seemed to know what he was thinking and muttered to him when they had a moment.

'I can't come and see you again, you're in the main room. Kafei's right through there, it would be much more difficult.' She shrugged apologetically. 'I'm sorry. But... I will be thinking about you.' She flushed and hurried away with a pile of plates, and he was left cursing his stupidity in giving up the spare room. It had been a hopeless idea, but it still hurt to have it punctured. At least she would be nearby.

Everyone said goodnight and Malon lingered by the table, hoping for a second to snatch a goodnight kiss, but Kafei was stubbornly still bustling about and she ran out of excuses. She cast a rueful glance at him as she went through her door, and he returned it with a smile. He lay back on his blankets, listening to Kafei clattering plates together for a while before leaving, and he smiled. He felt good. The terror of the past was retreating, he was keen to continue now the end was in sight, and then... well, the future was undecided. He blew out the last candle and lay back comfortably, remembering Malon's face over dinner, the life in her eyes, and decided to give more attention to the thought he had stashed away earlier. It would pass the time and keep the nightmares away, and he slipped into a reverie of pale skin and musical laughter.

\----

The sun was only a hand's breadth above the horizon when he found himself once again outside the ranch gate, his back stinging from Talon's customary slap. Another goodbye in a relationship that had seemed made of partings, but this was nothing like the last time. The sun was out, he was keen to continue, and Malon seemed to have picked up his good mood, his confidence, and she was smiling at him. She had given him the usual thoughtfully wrapped supplies, he had said his goodbyes as everyone had left to their chores, but again she had walked him to the gate. He wondered if the others found anything suspicious in that, and decided he didn't care.

She was still smiling, holding his hands as if about to start a dance.

'Don't worry. I'll be back soon this time. And in better spirits, I promise.'

'Where do you have to go?'

'The desert to the west. Navi says there's a huge old statue somewhere in the sand, I'm sure there's a sage in there somewhere.'

She smiled. 'Do you think it's anyone you know?' She had been endlessly amused by the fact all the sages had been friends or acquaintances of Link when he had been a child, and he thought hard for a second.

'I doubt it. I've never even met anyone from round there. They don't exactly come this way often.' He smiled. 'Maybe I'll make a new friend.'

She laughed. 'Go on then. the quicker you're gone the less time I have to think about it. You'd better be back soon.'

'I promise.' He hesitated, then his hands were on her hips, drawing her close, and he kissed her quickly. She sighed, gripping his hair for a moment, then he broke away. They had had only a few days together, but he felt as though he couldn't remember a time when he hadn't been obsessed with her. Another parting, but far from the worst, and he took a few steps backwards. She held his hand for a second, then he was gone, running into the dawn light. He turned to flash a grin at her, then he disappeared.

She sighed, her veneer of confidence waning. Only a few days, but she felt as though she had loved a lifetime. He had better be back soon.


	7. Chapter 7: Spirit

'Ugh.'

Link blinked furiously, the white spots in his vision twisted and changed from green to purple. He rubbed a knuckle into his eyes and the marks burned into his eyes faded.

'I wish it wasn't so bright.' He shot a look over his shoulder at the now empty pedestal. The afterimage of the glow that had returned him to the future was still overlaid slightly on his vision, and it wavered oddly over the reality. Navi, who had lived her long life from the heart of an intense glow, said nothing. Link staggered down the steps, feeling yet again the strange disorientation of being thrust into a new body. Every time he had to travel through the years he ended up confused and dizzy for a while, and his hand groped for the wall of the passage into the temple hall, his body fighting against the fresh memories of being ten again.

'I don't think I'll ever get used to this.' He slid down the wall to sit for a while, his back against the cool stone, letting his brain settle. As he spent more time as an adult his mind adapted to the change fairly quickly, but the time immediately after was always thoroughly unpleasant. He lay his head back against the wall and collected his thoughts, trying to ignore the twitches as his muscles remembered what it felt like to be developed. Navi buzzed around his head for a minute, then his eyes snapped open.

'What do you think happened to her?'

'You mean Nabooru?'

'Yeah... it seems just an hour ago but it was seven years... I wonder what those witches did. Or even if they're still around.'

Navi said nothing. They were both remembering watching in hopeless despair as the Gerudo was sucked down into the sand, shouting impotently as the witches vanished with a cackle.

'Maybe she was sealed like you were? I mean, she seemed to know the secret of getting further into the temple.'

'Could be she just meant these.' Link dug into his pack and pulled out an intricate assembly of silver plates and chains. He held it up, considering the shape, then waved it next to his arm. 'I think they're meant t-'

As the dangling chains waved near his gauntlets, they whiplashed out like snakes, and he yelled in alarm as the whole device jumped from his hand and wrapped itself tightly round his heavy glove. He watched apprehensively as the intricate chains slithered over each other and fastened themselves to the leather. With a barely audible clink, they fell still, and he flexed his hand experimentally. The plates lay on the back of his forearm and hand, but apart from the gleam of silver he felt no different. He shrugged and pulled the second piece out.

'Maybe it's a key of some sort.'

Navi shrugged and he felt a stab of irritation that she was being unhelpful. He was about to snap at her, then checked. He was the one being unreasonable. He was tired, dispirited and disoriented. He had spent the last few days sneaking around a desert fortress, heart in his mouth, freeing the carpenters from their cages. Talon had been wrong about where they had gone, he realised with a smile. The stealthy advance had been punctuated by sudden, terrifying swordfights with thieves whose blades curved like the moon and were wider across than the women who wielded them. Eventually an uneasy truce had been called, the thieves had allowed him the run of the fortress in recognition of his skill. He couldn't remember showing any, but since the only sleep he had had in two days was unconciousness brought on by being captured, he had warily snatched a few hours asleep, his weapons close. The Gerudo who had struck the fragile peace had confirmed his suspicion that something strange had been happening in the statue of the desert goddess, and he had set off into the shifting sands.

The journey had been hellish. He had been admonishing himself for never preparing adequately for anything, muttering and grumbling at his stupidity to distract himself from the merciless glare of the sun. Walking on sand was an unfamiliar experience, his feet had shifted and twisted in the loose dunes, for every step he scrambled up he seemed to slide down two. Just as he had been adapting to the strange surface, a sandstorm had howled in as if from nowhere, all visibility had been lost and he had stumbled on, the ground and air had seemed so inextricably tangled with the pressing heat he had felt as though he were buried alive. The journey had taken forever, a vague blur of memories of grit, dry roasting sun and twisting ankles, and even now in the temple he made a face as though he still had sand in his mouth. He spat out of habit and Navi looked at him questioningly.

'I'm just remembering that sandstorm. I think if I'd held my sword up it would have sharpened itself.' His thoughts were back in the present, glossing over Shiek's customary strange words, the silence of the temple, and the chilling memory that he had not mentioned to Navi in case he had imagined it, a hulking figure stalking him silently through the storm, lurking in shadows in the temple, moving noiselessly despite its size, and he shivered. Now he had to go back, with a treasure won from seven years in the past, using a method he didn't understand, to free the final sage. He remembered the optimism he had faced this last temple with a few days before and smiled. His thoughts drifted, as they always did when he relaxed, to the girl at the farm. He could go and see her now, he thought, and it was tempting, so tempting to put off the rest of the gloomy temple for a few days, but the thought of shirking his duty so close to the end was equally disturbing.

Was it duty? He had never asked for this, never actually volunteered, he had been asked to deliver a stone by the Great Deku Tree and had been swept up helplessly in the swirl of events. He put his head in his hands as he reached the part of this train of thought he always hated. He had been dragged along on a quest he didn't understand, and as a result had allowed Ganondorf to steal the artifact of the gods and rule the country. He thought of all the ruined lives, the corpses wandering the streets of the market, the buildings burning or gone, the survivors living in fear and cramped conditions, and most selfishly he thought of Malon, remembering the tears on her face the first time he had seen her, her defeated attitude and lost hope, the years of suffering, and he knew everyone in Hyrule had endured the same. The worst part, the treacherous thought that had niggled the edges of his mind these last weeks, that he had constantly tried to ignore or drown out; it was all his fault. Even if he did defeat the tyrant and restore peace, could the kingdom heal itself after all those years of evil? How would they rebuild, where was Zelda, would he be seen as a hero or reviled as the architect? He felt his thoughts begin their profitless slide into despair and jerked his head up.

Navi was floating silently, lost in her own thoughts, but she looked down as he moved and smiled.

'Ready to keep going?'

Link nodded and rubbed his jaw.

'I swear it's the teeth that I can't get used to. They feel all wrong from in here.'

Navi laughed at him and he went to push himself up. To his slight consternation he shot upright with such force that his feet temporarily left the ground. He staggered, Navi laughed again, and he looked bemusedly at his arms.

'I think I lost weight. That, or... these make me stronger somehow.' He frowned at the plates on his gauntlets.

'Magic gloves, Link!' Navi laughed again, flying eagerly towards the seal on the floor. He walked stiffly after her, his muscles still twitching and protesting slightly, and took out his Ocarina.

'At least I don't have to walk all the way through that desert again.'

He closed his eyes, put the instrument to his lips, and with the dexterity he had learned years ago, played a tune. A simple tune, only a few notes, but notes that refused to fade after he stopped breathing, echoing back from the walls of the temple, notes that grew in strength to a desert wind, carrying the smell of spices, the heat of the sun, and the tune wrapped itself around him in what felt like a storm of sand. He opened his eyes and the wind was real, he was back at the oasis, staring at the looming statue. He sighed and put the Ocarina away.

'As long as I live, i will never understand how that can possibly work.'

'Mag-' He shot out a finger to the fairy's lips and she stopped, surprised, then laughed.

'Come on.' He stepped off the stone and already his foot sank in the soft sand. He flexed his shoulders. Just one more effort, and it would be over.

\----

Malon hummed to herself as she swept round the stables. Her back ached, and she was exhausted, but she was proud of herself, and she took a quick break to lean on the large post where the wall had swung back to open the building onto the field. She wiped her hands absent mindedly and looked out on the evening. The air was still and clear, crickets chirped at each other in the warm grass, and the few horses that hadn't returned yet were trotting sedately around on their own business. It was that strange period before sunset happens properly, the sky was tinged with orange and pink, the air thick and deep blue. Almost unconciously, she was singing the notes of her mother's song under her breath. She walked onto the field, ignoring the fat flies that buzzed lazily through the evening, swaying slightly to the rythymn of the song. She was content, her work done for the day, and she was at peace with the world. Everything was so calm-

'Hey!'

Her eyes snapped open and she tensed as though she had dropped into icy water. That voice was unmistakeable, and her eyes raced round to find the glow-

'Malon!'

There, the fairy was poking her head over the top of the wall to the west. She clung to the stone and grinned from ear to ear. Seeing Malon had spotted her, she waved and shouted again.

'We got it! We did it!'

Malon gaped at her for a second, then her face spread in a wide smile. They had done it already? Much faster than she had expected, Navi was happy so he must be undamaged, and returning now, today? She almost jumped at that stroke of luck, and ran back through the field, between the buildings, until she grabbed the gatepost and swung round onto the path.

'Link!'

She stared into the setting sun, dazzled by the rays, then she saw him, running towards her out of the light.

'You did it!' He grinned at her and kept running, his boots parting the long grass and sending small insects scurrying across the hard soil. He looked to see her hair flare gold for a second as it caught the sun behind him, and he laughed at a memory that seemed so long ago. She felt the same, a half forgotten moment from years before come to life again, except this time she ran to meet him and flung herself on him, burying her face in his shoulder, and he lifted her up to spin her around as if she weighed nothing. He dropped her lightly to her feet and she grinned at him, her face alive with pleasure and glowing from the sunset.

'We did it. The sages are awake, it's nearly over.' The relief was clear in him, his shoulders slumped and there were bags under his eyes, but he was smiling. She noticed that his tunic was burnt slightly and he had a new shield that blazed gold where it reflected the sun.

'So all you've got to do now...'

He followed her gaze to the tower in the distance, and finished her sentence for her.

'Is win. Then it'll all be over.'

They gazed at the spire in silence for a minute, minds tangled with thoughts of the future, what had to happen, what might happen, and what could never happen. Link suddenly drew himself up as if to set off. Malon frowned at him.

'Where do you think you're going?'

'I have to go to the tower. The sooner I defeat the Evil King, the sooner Hyrule is free.'

'I know you want to get it over with, but...' She looked critically at him, and brushed some sand from a fold of his tunic, 'You look absolutely exhausted. You need to rest before you go up there.'

He hesitated. The offer of rest and food was tempting enough to sway him from charging straight off down the path to the castle. Now that he was standing still he realised how tired he actually was, but he felt compelled to end his quest as soon as possible. Malon saw his indecision and knew she had to persuade him to stay. It was pure luck that had brought him back today, and she wasn't going to let that escape...

'Come on. A meal, a bed, just for one night, and you can end it tomorrow. No one will think any less of you.'

He was still unsure, though base feelings were shouting in his head for him to accept.

'I think I would be able to do it, i mean-'

'You wouldn't even get there Link. There have been patrols of horsemen around the castle recently. You'll have to slip past them to even get close, and you need to be razor sharp for that. Come and rest, just for one night.'

She was looking at him almost pleadingly, and though he needed little persuasion, her wide eyes were more than enough.

'Just one night?'

'Just one night. Recover and end it when you're alert.'

He nodded. 'I'll go tomorrow then.' He smiled at her, loving the way the corners of her eyes lifted as she smiled in response.

'Good.' Without warning, she pulled herself closer to him and kissed him gently. All the aches and pains of the last few days vanished in a moment, it was as though he had crawled out of his body to wrap up in a blanket, and he held her tight.

'I missed you.'

'I miss you every time, Link. But that's nearly behind us.' She didn't betray her thoughts, the knowledge that the dark tower would be his greatest challenge yet, and she hid her fears for his safety by kissing him again.

She led him by the hand into the ranch, swinging the gate shut behind him. They walked in silence between the buildings, and Link stood patiently while Malon led the last few horses into the stables, then he swung the big door shut for her. She was finishing off another little job when he realised.

'Malon, where is everyone?' He was frowning about the ranch, listening for Talon's shout, or the sound of animals as other work went on, but there was only the drone of insects. She blushed slightly, hoping that the fading light would hide it.

'Oh, um, they went to the village. They heard the carpenters were back and went to talk to them about the wall, and dad had some milk to deliver... they only left a few hours ago, you just missed them, really.'

'They left you here by yourself?' He was astonished, and she smiled at him.

'Link, I can run this place on my own. It's all I did for years, really...' her voice trailed off rather than speak of the recent years. 'Well, anyway. It's not for long, they said they'd be back tomorrow sometime, maybe later if business is good or, as I think is more likely, if they meet some friends and have a drink.'

Link said nothing. He had heard what she was saying, but for some reason the words sounded as if they came from far away. Alone here, with Malon? He tensed his stomach to try and calm the writhing of the all too familiar snakes inside, and suddenly he felt afraid. Monsters, skeletons and dragons were easy to deal with, but now the thought of being alone with this girl was the most terrifying thing he had ever considered. His mind flashed through memories, they had always been hiding from the others before, but now there were no others... and accompanying that thought were all the memories of her body against his, the sight of her nightdress and his speculation as to its absence, and everything crashed together to root him to the spot.

'Speaking of drink-' She finished what she was doing and pulled the stable door shut, 'you must be hungry. I put some food on earlier, you're more than welcome to share it.' She dazzled him with her smile and he followed her, terrified and tensed as if for battle, into the house.

'I was only making this for myself, but I'm sure there'll be enough to share.'

Navi darted around the roof, smirking.

'He'll be fine, Link only eats a crust a day as it is.'

Link shot her a glare but said nothing, mutely attempting to lend a hand but only getting in the way. He had shed his weapons and equipment in the spare room when he had entered, preferring the bed to the pile of straw he usually slept on. He had come out to find Malon bustling about with food, chatting at him slightly breathlessly, and he saw no reason to interrupt her. Again, for a reason he couldn't quite pin down, he suddenly found talking to her difficult. It was easy with other people around to interrupt, to join in with, but when there was only her he felt inexplicably tongue tied.

She set a small meal on the table and he had an idea.

'Do you think Talon would mind if we had some of that wine from the other day? I'm pretty bashed up, I could do with something strong.'

She looked at him for a second, then smiled and he went to get one of the bottles they had opened days ago. He needed the confidence, he thought as he stared morosely into the dark liquid. Why was talking so hard? Though he knew her well, this felt like completely unfamiliar territory. He could easily recall the thoughts he had struggled with when she had come to sleep in his arms, but before they had been just thoughts, possibilities for a vauge future that seemed to be unfolding in the present. What if she expected something to happen? Yet another terrifying thought to add to the pile.

The wine gave him a small measure of courage back, and over the food he told her haltingly of the temple in the sand. She listened with an expression of rapt attention, and whenever he forgot a detail or omitted something he didn't think worth mentioning, Navi would interject loudly from the ceiling to make her eyes sparkle with admiration. He conveniently left out the part where he returned to the past.

The tale made the time pass quickly, the light withdrew from the sky to leave the fires in charge of the house, and it was warm and comfortable. As they ate and talked they had unconciously shifted closer to each other so that their shoulders were touching and their faces were close. Talking freely had negated some of his earlier fears, and he was beginning to relax. It was nice to have her so close, and his eyes never left her face, only a few inches away. He was telling her about the ancient witches who gaurded the temple, the hulking suit of armour that had sealed the sage, when suddenly he realised he wasn't talking anymore, and her face was inching closer, her lips shining in the firelight, and again that uncertain future exploded in his head, the snakes thrashed in his stomach, and her breath was on his cheek.

His mind churned at quicksilver speeds as he rested his forehead on hers. He had kissed her enough times before, but this was somehow different, more intimate, no need for secrecy, and his nerves were stretched tight. He felt a need to preserve this moment in his mind, her skin pale and smooth, her thick hair hanging free and piling on her shoulders, and he raised a hand to her neck. She took a deep breath as he touched her, and he felt a massive surge of affection and longing that made his heart ache, and he pulled her closer to kiss her gently. Her fingers dug into his tunic, the only sound the crackling of logs on the fire as they collapsed into piles of ash. Eventually she broke away.

'I don't want you to go.'

Her voice was quiet and soft, this newfound intimacy had made her more fearful than ever for his chances in the tower, and she tried not to think that this could be his last day alive. She wanted to cling to him and keep him here so he would never be in danger again, and she felt tears start in her eyes. She didn't want him to see her cry, so pulled his head down onto her shoulder and buried her face in his hair.

Link was melancholy. She was sad suddenly, he knew why, and it rubbed off on him. He stayed still, the smell of her hair filling his nostrils, and felt an immense sadness that he would leave again in the morning. Every moment with her was now precious, and he held her tight. He had to leave for them to be able to be together, and they both knew it.

After a while Malon sniffed and raised her head. She sat back and tried a smile.

'Sorry. Look at me, making a big fuss over everything. I don't mean to be a downer.'

Link was thinking how the faint teartracks on her skin shone so beautifully, despite the sadness, and he stumbled for a reply.

'Don't worry about it. I don't want to go either.'

She smiled at him.

'You should get your rest. You have a big day tomorrow.'

'The biggest.' He tried to sound natural, but he was dissapointed that she was leaving, and his body muttered at him. He wanted to snatch as much time with her as possible, but his voice felt frozen when he thought of saying something. He stood awkwardly, and she rose too.

'Will you be warm enough down here?' She looked concerned, and he was bemused. There was the remains of a fire, and blankets, why wouldn't he be?

'Of course I will, don't worry.'

Relaxing in the rafters, Navi rolled her eyes so hard it was almost audible.

'Well, um... goodnight.'

'Goodnight Link.' She looked at him with a mixture of amusement and sadness, kissed him quickly and turned to the stairs. He stared unsubtly after her, wishing she would stay longer. He sighed, turning to the spare room. Navi darted down and flitted through the gap before he closed the door.

\----

'You're an idiot.'

'What?'

He looked quizzically at the fairy. He was sitting on the spare bed, not quite wanting to climb under the blankets just yet. He had removed everything but his tunic, as it was a warm night, but he wasn't really thinking about the temperature. His stomach twisted with nerves, split equally between the task he knew he must complete the next day, and the vague hope that Malon might come down to the main room for something and he could have an excuse to talk to her again. He brushed at the bed vaguely as Navi smirked at him.

'You must be the most oblivious person I've ever met.'

'It's really annoying when you stop making sense, you know.'

She huffed and crossed her arms.

'You're saying you don't understand what I mean? Oh come on, even for you it must be obvious. You happen to come back on a day when everyone else is away, she persuades you to stay, tells you she misses you, and- are you listening to me?'

Link had found an errant strand of red on one of the sheets, and he was twisting it vaguely between his fingers as his mind filled with memories of the night she had crept down to be in his arms. Maybe she would do it again, he thought hopefully, since there was no one around, but why would she?

'Hmmm?'

'Oh for goddesses sake. Look. You can sit here and mope about for hours, or you can go and say goodnight to her.'

He frowned. 'But I just said goodnight. Why would I call her down to say it again?'

'You don't have to. Just go and say night. Trust me. She won't mind.'

'Well, ok. I'll look pretty strange though.'

He stood and brushed his tunic down absent mindedly. The thought occured that maybe she would want to talk for a bit before going to bed, and that cheered him up a little.

'What are you smiling at?' He asked the fairy irritably, and she put on her most innocent face.

'Nothing. On you go, I'll be right here when you get back.'

He frowned at her and eased the door open.

\----

Malon glared at her reflection as she brushed her hair absent mindedly. Idiot! Why had she left? She told herself she wanted him to be ready for the last trials that lay ahead, but the parts of her mind that were dark and red knew she was a coward, and mocked her for it. She had got upset at the thought of him leaving and pushed him away, not wanting to face it, and she took out her frustration on her hair, brushing with short, savage strokes. Maybe she should go and say goodnight, apologise for being abrupt. She had so wanted to spend time with him and when the chance arrived, she had done everything completely wrong. If he was feeling hurt by her attitude, she should go and apologise. She examined herself critically. Her hair, newly brushed and shining, framed her head, and she glowered at herself. She had always thought she had a strange nose, but there wasn't much she could do about that.

She considered that, if she was going to talk to him, she would have to find an excuse not to leave. Her hint earlier had flown completely over his head, as usual, and she blushed slightly at her own selfishness. It might be silly, but she wanted more time with him, to feel his lips one last time, and she shot another dissatisfied glance at the mirror. She pursed her lips and twitched the neckline of her nightdress slightly further down, exposing the top of her chest slightly, and felt embarassed by her brazeness. The effect was good in the candlelight though, and she had just begun making up an excuse for coming back downstairs when a gentle knock crashed into her mind.

She had left the door slightly open to let the air circulate, and now she was furious with herself for leaving it. A quick, terrified glance in the mirror showed Link standing awkwardly by the door and she spun round, wincing slightly as she knocked her hairbrush to the floor with a clatter. She straightened up, tried to compose her face quickly, and wished furiously that she had left her dress as it had been. Goddesses, he was only wearing his tunic, and she could see his strong limbs, so often armoured, pale in the wan light. Why on earth was he here?

'Um, hi. Sorry about that.' She gestured vaguely at the hairbrush, and he looked as terribly embarassed as she felt.

'Don't worry about it. I um, I came to uh, to say goodnight.' He mumbled as he realised how stupid he sounded. He hadn't quite expected to find her getting ready for bed, even though it was what she had gone to do, and he tried to look at the floor so he wouldn't stare. It didn't work, he couldn't help but look up again. His eyes travelled her body, her legs, long and lithe as he remembered, her hips curving gently under her dress, framed by her hair, her chest heaving slightly from surprise, and that alone made him feel lightheaded and summoned old memories, hopes and dreams. She was looking at him with a strange expression he couldn't place, and he didn't realise that she was looking him over in the exact way he was doing to her. She shook her head slightly and smiled at him, desperately hoping her voice was under control.

'Um, goodnight. Though we've already done that.' She laughed nervously, her voice filled the room and sent a shiver down his spine. He had said goodnight, he had no excuse to stay, but he did, feeling both brave and scared. His stomach was twisting as though caught in a gale, the growling monster in his chest roared at him, and he took an unconcious step forward.

'I just want to say... thanks for looking after me again, and everything, uhm...'

She smiled and straightened up, taking a step herself. Though her heart was hammering and she felt as though she was shaking like a leaf, she made a huge effort to seem calm and under control, as if this was normal.

'Don't worry about it.' Another step.

Link floundered, rubbing his neck awkwardly.

'You, ah... look nice.' She smiled at that, a smile of genuine pleasure, and her cheeks tinged red slightly. Another step. He was close to her now, and his height let him look down to where her nightdress seemed to have slipped. He stole a glance at the deep, dark shadows the candles cast on her skin, shadows that spoke to the raw parts of his mind that he had tried to ignore before, and his eyes flicked back up, almost ashamed of himself. If she had noticed his glance she didn't seem to mind, and that thought gave him a burst of happiness in his chest. She took a step towards him, her hips swayed, her body seemed perfectly under control, and he felt as though blinking would be a waste of this oppurtunity. He took a step himself and he was there, standing right in front of her, gazing into her eyes and trying to control his breathing. His body understood that this was a fine place to be, and he tried to shout it down and stay in control so he wouldn't do anything stupid. She smiled at him and his heart leapt to his mouth.

'Do you remember what I said in the storm, that night?'

The question surprised him, but he knew the answer. It had been circling his mind for weeks, shouting at him to distract him at every possible oppurtunity, and he leaned his head onto hers.

'I love you.'

She smiled up at him.

'That's the one.'

They stood for a moment, both yearning to do something but not quite knowing what. Malon only knew that her nerves were taut enough to tear her apart if she moved. She wondered what to say, what to do, but could only think of pathetic small talk. She opened her mouth.

'It's late, maybe yo-'

What he should do, he would never find out, as he had seen her mouth open, his mind and body had thundered at him in unision to do something, and he had taken her cheek and kissed her hard, cutting her off. She stiffened, surprised, then melted and seized his hair, letting the rest of the sentence into his mouth as she fiercely returned the kiss. As though a bottle had been uncorked, the pent up emotions they had been struggling with found an outlet, and they clawed at each other passionately. Malon went backwards to bump against her dressing table but she didn't care, nothing could make her care about anything right now, her hands dug into his skin, stroking his tense muscles and rubbing almost frantically up and down his back. He returned the attention, they snatched at breaths impatiently, teeth and lips and hands lost in each other, and she pulled him close so he would never leave.

She leaned against the dressing table and threw her head back, he remembered what she had said behind the storage hut so long ago, and kissed at her neck as she gulped for air. He nibbled at her skin and again the strange little noise escaped her mouth, a noise she couldn't have contained and that ran through his body like ice. His lips wandered down to her collarbone, the silky flesh just below, and she gasped again, louder this time, before yanking his head up and pressing her lips on his hard enough to hurt. Her tongue flashed round his, she tasted of honey as he remembered, and she rubbed her face against him. His heart thumped as though trying to escape, his stomach was raging but it felt good this time, welcome, and it awakened some basic instincts at the core of his soul. His hands already stroked her back, and he felt braver than he ever had as they slid lower, to the hem of her dress. She went still at his touch, then gasped and laughed at the same time.

'Link...'

He grinned at her, his hand slid under the cloth to feel warm, yielding flesh, and he was stroking the curve in her back again, skin on skin, and she laughed again, hit his chest as he kissed her.

'Link!' She could feel the hem of her dress being lifted as his hands raised up, and her nerves snapped at her, she felt almost sick with anticipation and the feel of his hand on her skin. She pretended to be affronted and hit him again, trying to jerk her head away from his kisses as she pursed her lips.

'Link! Good girls don't -mmf- don't do this sort of thing!' He grinned at her, her tone was light and even if she pretended to protest, her body said yes in every way it could. Her fingernails dug into his tunic, her chest pressed against him, her bare thigh was wrapping itself round his leg and she was gasping shallow breaths onto his face. She grabbed his face and planted another kiss, fiery with passion, and he wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her against him tight enough to feel her breasts through the thin material.

Suddenly she broke the kiss with a gasp and pushed him hard away from her. He went back, stumbling, confused. Had he insulted her? It made no sense! Then he saw she was still smiling at him. She pushed herself off the table, stood upright and put a finger to his lips. He looked at her, wide eyed, unsure of what she was doing, then his eyes widened further as her hand dropped to grasp the hem of her dress. She was lifting it, his heart flew to his mouth again, his breath didn't seem to be reaching his lungs, and he stayed completely still as her hands moved. Her body arced in a sinuous wave as the dress was lifted, her back curved like a bow and then it was gone, her hair falling down again, thick and shining, as she dropped the small pile of material to the floor contemptuously. His eyes swept over her shamelessly, his wondering what she looked like had not prepared him for the real thing.

Her skin was pale as milk, her body slim and firm from hard work, her breasts were small but perfectly shaped, and her hair lay against her like a sheet of silk spun from the purest flames. The candlelight flickered its deep shadows across her legs and stomach as she stepped close to him again, her eyes gleaming at him from beneath long lashes. He was lost for words as she pressed against him, her hands were round his neck and he thought she was going to kiss him, but she had grabbed the neck of his tunic and he offered no resistance as she pulled it over his head. He felt slightly embarassed as the heavy cloth came over his head, but his mind was still lagging slightly behind events. She stepped back with his tunic in her hands, and her eyes ran up and down his body the same way he had just looked at her. She took in his lean frame with a half smile, noting the muscles of a warrior that were defined by the shadows, and she tried to calm herself as she flung his tunic into a forgotten corner.

She pressed herself against him, her arms around his neck, her lips on his, her slight body pulled tight against him, and the feeling of bare skin was exhilarating. She was shaking slightly, not with cold but excitement, and he held her closer to try and calm her. Their minds were racing with their seperate fantasies, their hopes and dreams and shameful thoughts that had all come together now, and their lips were a struggle of emotions. Malon's head came back, her breathing shallow and excited, and she wrapped a leg round his, smiling as she felt his excitement. She ground her hips gently against him and he shuddered slightly.

'Still love me?'

He still felt as if he couldn't speak and laughed helplessly, only making her grin wider. She pulled herself up, her body rubbing against him, until she could whisper huskily into his ear.

'Goodnight, fairy boy.'

And with that, she wrapped her legs around him and fell backwards onto her bed, dragging him down to the cold sheets.

\----

Malon pushed her hair out of her face as she gulped at the thick, hot air. Link, lying beneath her, was utterly exhausted, but his eyes never left her slim figure. He pulled her hips down again and she gasped, her body twitching as she threw her head back to let out a long, heartfelt moan. Her nails clawed at his chest and every muscle in her body tensed, then she collapsed on top of him. She was too tired to move, and her limp body lay on his chest, quivering and sweating as she gasped out a series of small noises that fought their way past her lips. Eventually she got control of her voice, though her body still trembled, and she raised her head to smile sleepily at him from behind a curtain of messy hair.

'Mmm. Yum.' She kissed his chest, his neck, tasting the thin sheen of sweat that covered him, and her hands were restless on his body, though her arms felt as thought they were fighting her. The candle had burnt happily down to a stub over the last hours, and now cast a dim orange light that barely illuminated the corners of the room. The air was heavy with exertion and almost difficult to breathe. Link, his head spinning, guessed it was an hour or so before dawn. They had stayed awake for a long time, and when they were too tired to move they had lain in each others arms and talked of everything that came to mind, the state of the world, friends, family, life, and when the conversation had faltered she had climbed on top of him again. Hours later, they had snatched a moment of sleep, but neither of them could bear to miss this time together and it hadn't lasted long. Despite the promise of a rest, Link felt more tired than he could ever remember feeling before, Malon was insatiable and he had woken to her body slithering on top of him once more.

He let his head fall back onto the pillow now, revelling in her naked skin pressing against him as she gasped for breath. Well that was... one way of saying goodnight. His memories were hazy, an endless reel of pale skin, sweat and excitement, and he tried to make sense of it. This was new, something he had never given any thought to, but as soon as she had dragged him on top of her instinct had taken over. His body had known what to do somehow, and his mind had enjoyed the ride as much as possible. He looked down to bury his face in her hair, soft on his face, and his nostrils were full of her smell. He grinned. She curled up on top of him, cuddling up close against the night, and he rested his hands on her skin. He felt a desperate longing to never leave this life, and he knew that in a day the matter would be decided forever. He didn't contemplate the possibility that he could lose. There was so much to be gained from victory, the thought of the future so bright that he glossed over the coming battle and sketched rough outlines for the aftermath. That helped control his fears, and he pulled the sleeping girl closer and drifted contentedly into a blessedly nightmareless sleep.

He woke to a light room, the noise of cuccos loud outside. He lay for a while, unwilling to acknowledge that the night had passed and would only live on in memory. Looking down at Malon, a smile touched his lips. She was still asleep, a frown creasing her forehead, a strand of hair lying across her face being blown this way and that by her slow breathing. A perfect moment to capture in his mind forever, and he stared for a long time, memorising every inch of her, admiring how the early light reflected from her smooth skin, how the curves of her body flowed flawlessly together, and then her eyes opened. She saw him staring and revelled in the attention before pushing herself up at arms length.

'Morning.'

He returned her grin.

'Morning.' Her voice was playful, and she kissed him on the nose. His eyes swept her body again, and her grin grew wider.

'I fear I'm a bad hostess. You didn't get very much rest.'

He laughed, took her hips and rolled her over so she was on her back and he was above her. Her hair fanned out where she lay, a great splash of red against the white sheets, and her eyes gleamed as if they reflected an unseen torch.

'I got enough.'

\----

Malon fretted over the time after she had reluctantly dragged herself out of bed. She usually got up just after dawn to start her work for the day, and the sun was now high in the sky.

'And I have to do it all by myself! This is your fault, you know.'

Link did his best impression of innocence. It didn't work. Grinning, he rubbed his arm where she had hit him yet again. He sat on the sheets and watched her dress. She was slightly shyer in the wan light of dawn, but his devoted attention pleased her. She chided him as she did up the heavy silver buckle on her belt.

'Don't think you're getting off light. I need some help, and since you delayed me, you can provide that.'

He winked at her as she picked up her boots and left the room. The door clicked shut and she leant suddenly against the wall outside to take a deep breath. Her heart was still fluttering like one of the little birds that darted across the field at the height of summer, and she put a hand on her chest. She had been shocked at her own brazen behaviour the previous night, but that had been lost in a storm of ecstacy quickly enough. Other things too, as her legs still felt too weak to support her. On the other hand, that moment where she had acted on instinct had led to everything both of them had ever hoped for, and she reflected that, overall, there were worse ways they could have passed the night. She grinned and carefully started down the stairs.

Link pulled on his tunic, his head still spinning slightly. He suddenly remembered that all of his clothes and equipment were downstairs, and with that came the realization that he would have to explain his absence to Navi. He grimaced and peeked out of the door to check if Malon had gone. He stole downstairs and into the spare room. Maybe if he was quiet enough-

'Morning.'

He froze for a second, then straightened up and tried to look diffident. He rummaged through the pile of his things, keeping his voice normal.

'Morning.'

The fairy was silent, and this was odd enough to make him look for her. She was sitting on a bedpost, her arms and legs folded, and her face contorted into the most intense expression of amused smugness he had ever seen. He tried to keep his face neutral, knowing that by making him look, she had won. He sat on the bed to tug his breeches on, carefully ignoring looking at her again. Not that he needed to say anything, the amused twist to her mouth told him that she knew exactly what had happened. She seemed content with an overbearingly smug silence, and he continued preparing himself. He knew that, whatever his own feelings on the matter, he would have to leave today to climb the dark tower, and he took his time getting ready, tightening and redoing knots, adjusting his boots, rearranging various bits of equipment as if to be comfortable was to be safe. He glared at his reflection in his new shield for a while, checking the brilliant surface for any small defect, then picked up his sword.

The blade rasped free of the scabbard, and he tested the edge with his thumb. It was an unusual sword, even for a blade of legend. Most swords were slim and maneuverable, but the Master Sword was a huge length of thick steel, the blade a good five inches wide and another inch thick, and as a result it had a huge weight that had initially made him clumsy. Luckily he had been tall enough to take advantage of the length, and as the time passed he had grown used to the weight that could crush smaller weapons aside with ease. He observed the small red line on his thumb, fresh against the multitude of similar scars, and reflected that he had never had to sharpen or maintain the blade in any way. He had tried, once, but had found nothing to do and had felt a little silly.

He stared vaguely at his reflection in the blade, lost in thought. Several minutes ticked by before he sighed, slid the sword home and slung it on his back. He stood, and went to find breakfast.

\----

Link's arm ached as he swung the sword in a wide arc for the hundredth time. For the hundredth time it connected with nothing, and he shook his head. He had offered to help Malon with her work for a while, but she had sensed his distraction and assured him she could manage by herself. She had teased him earlier, but now his nervousness was clear and she didn't want to make it worse. He had retired to the field to loosen up, as he called it, and he had spent a good hour flinging his sword about, sinking arrows into trees, clattering them off rocks, and to his utter mortification, burying one in the plaster of the house. He had stretched the chain of his hookshot, greased it, and had minutely inspected his ocarina for dust or scratches. Malon had thought this last activity odd, for the instrument was hardly a weapon, but had left him to it. He had spent time making sure everything was absolutely right, as if the little details would add up to a large advantage. She had passed by a few times and he had stopped, as if embarrassed by his actions, but every time she had offered encouraging words and a kiss, and he had begun to act more confidently.

He had pressed her for details of the cavalry screen around the castle over lunch, as he had never actually run into one. She explained that the patrols had been abandoned years before, when it was clear there was no resistance left, but recently, around the time he had been sweating from nightmares, they had seen a revival. Clearly the Evil King felt his power waning, and had thrown a screen of horsemen around the castle to stop anyone coming closer, as well as randomly roving patrols whos purpose, she guessed, was to hunt him down. Link mused on this for a while. The last time he had been to the Temple he had travelled in and out by magic, explaining why he had never been troubled before, and he was tempted to make the same entrance. Shiek nagged at his memory though, the stranger had warned him on their last meeting that to use the same method when the dark power had withdrawn and contracted around the castle would be as good as lighting a signal beacon to announce his presence. The approach would have to be done the old fashioned way, and he shivered slightly at the thought of the market ruins.

He thought it fortuitous that the patrols had never bothered the ranch, and she agreed with a shrug. Maybe they just didn't care about an isolated farm in the middle of the field. The patrols were not monsters, she added, but men, men who believed in the darkness, or at least who had siezed a chance to wield small power over others. She tried to suggest that they had just been misled, like Ingo had, and that he should avoid hurting them if possible. He marvelled inwardly at her compassion for all living things, and felt slightly ashamed that he had no convictions as strong. Maybe that was why she was so good with animals. He sought to change the subject, but couldn't think of anything, and they sat in awkward silence for a moment. It was odd to sit in the sunlight and talk of life while their minds were each filled with the night before, when they had clawed at each other in the darkness, and he stumbled for words slightly. He guessed, from the tinge in her cheeks, that she was thinking along the same lines.

After lunch he returned to his preparations, and she to her work, and their bodies and minds were both busy for a while. Link couldn't help returning to his vaguely outlined plans for the aftermath of the battle, and tried futilely to push them to the back of his mind and concentrate on the task at hand.

'When are you leaving?' She asked the question normally enough, trying to keep her voice calm.

'Mid afternoon. Shiek said to meet him in the Temple at dusk, and if I've got horsemen to avoid...'

She nodded as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

'I would offer to lend you Epona, but I doubt that would be very subtle.'

He smiled.

'Thanks for the thought anyway.'

She grinned at him and kissed him on the cheek, glad that his nervousness seemed to have gone. In truth his nerves were tight and ragged, and they gnawed constantly at his stomach, but he would rather die than show her how little confidence he had in himself. He tried to distract himself, and it occured to him how strangely normal it felt to kiss her lightly in return. A few weeks ago kissing her had seemed some impossible barrier for the future, but now he couldn't help himself every time she was nearby. He tried not to think about the possibility that he wouldn't return.

The sun inched down from its midday perch, and Malon couldn't help but glare irritably at it, as if the force of her frown would pin it to the sky. She too was trying to keep her thoughts from the possibility of continuing evil and loneliness, though when she actually thought about it the possibility that Link could lose seemed unreal somehow. He had been through so much that it seemed impossible that he could be defeated, but the worry still chewed at her mind. She twisted a strand of her hair absent mindedly as she crossed the corrall. She looked round for Link and saw him tugging on something stuck in the wall of the house, before he sensed her gaze and whipped round to look perfectly innocent. She smiled sadly. She would miss having him around if... She shook her head and continued on her work, muttering to herself about having to do it on her own.

The minutes crawled by. Malon tried to concentrate on what she was doing, but she was finding more and more excuses to walk by Link in the field, and every time she stayed for slightly longer. Eventually, when she realised he was ready and just putting off the moment of departure, she abandoned all pretense, threw down her bucket with a great splash, and flung her arms around him. She held his lips for a long time, then rested her face on his shoulder so he wouldn't see her tears.

'I don't want you to go.' Her voice was thick in his ear, and he screwed his eyes shut.

'I have to.' He said simply, and she replied the same way.

'I know.'

They held each other for a while. It seemed odd to be feeling sadness under the blazing sun. Eventually Malon took a great, shuddering breath, and pulled herself away to smile at him. He tactfully ignored how red her eyes were as she sought for words.

'Well... be careful, Mr Hero.' He smiled at her.

She hit him lightly as she always did, pretending to be cheerful again.

'What are you waiting for? I'd quite like to live in peace, thank you, and you dawdling around here isn't going to help that.'

He smiled sadly and squeezed her hand as they walked to the gate. She was silent, her head on his shoulder, and he had to tense his stomach to the point of pain in order to appear calm and confident. They stopped at the gate, and spent several minutes staring at the far off tower. The sun was sliding lower in the sky, and Link guessed he would reach the Temple at dusk if he ran, but he didn't want to leave the one place he had ever felt properly at home. Malon steeled herself and pushed him gently onto the path.

'Go on. I'll still be here when you return.' She smiled at him, taking comfort in how confident he was. That compelled her to thoughts she had only half acknowledged before, and she blushed and stumbled over her next words.

'And when you're done, well, there's space here if you want it. We'll find something for you to do.' She felt humbled by how stupid she sounded, but he looked genuinely pleased and took her hands.

'I'll remember that.' He took a step further down the path. Navi, who had been uncharacteristically silent for most of the day, poked her head out from his hat.

'Time for destiny's call, Link.'

He smiled up at her.

'Let's hope destiny likes me.'

He stepped away from the girl, his hands squeezed hers for a second before they dropped. He bowed to her, feeling oddly formal, as though some decorum should be present at the events of the next few hours, and turned away.

'Link...'

She ran to him, spun him round, and kissed him softly, pouring into that contact all the passion of youth, all the hopes and dreams and memories, and her heart ached. She looked him square in the eye and pushed him away.

'I'll be thinking of you.'

He grinned suddenly, his spirits bouyed, and turned to run down the path, his shadow long on the grass.

'I'll be right back!' he shouted as he ran, and she waved until his head turned away.

She watched him as he sprinted away, looking oddly small against the looming shadow of the castle, and she bit her lip. Goddesses protect him, she thought fervently. She needed him back in one piece. Her legs felt suddenly weak and she leant on the gatepost. There was no point moping, she told herself. She still had a few things to do, and staring absently into the field wouldn't help him at all, better to have something to distract her thoughts. The kingdom might be released from the darkness by the dawn, but common sense told her the cuccos would still need feeding.

\----

Link flattened himself against the cool earth, hardly daring to breathe. He had almost reached the castle when he had caught the distant clump of hooves off to his left in the dusk, and had slid into a patch of bushes without even thinking. The failing light had saved him, and he had crawled agonisingly to the castle moat before rolling over the bank and crouching by the side of the running water, unseen. He pressed himself against the earthen bank, giving silent thanks that he had thought to wrap his brilliantly reflective shield in cloth for the journey. Now he would see if he had been fast enough.

The hooves came closer, and he estimated four or five horses. It had to be one of the patrols Malon had mentioned, and though he was tempted to look he knew that would likely spell disaster. He listened to the men conversing in gruff voices, one of them swore blind he had seen something moving in the bushes, and there was an argument before the sound of plants being torn to shreds. The argument intensified and he used the cover of the noise to creep upstream towards the ruined chunks of the drawbridge. The man who had spotted Link dropping to the ground originally had been shouted down, and the jeers of the others followed him as he walked his horse to the moat in a huff. Link fell absolutely still as the man's shadow, distorted by the setting sun, fell across the water.

He guessed the man was directly above him, he could hear the horse's breath and when it stamped its foot a small shower of earth trickled down to fall in his hair, but still he didn't move. He could feel Navi stirring nervously on top of his head, and prayed she would stay still. The man leaned out to see more of the moat, not out of any sense of duty, more to ignore the catcalls of his comrades, and Link's eyes crossed as the point of his weapon, a razor sharp lance, dipped below the bank to hover inches from his face. The metal head of the weapon, nine inches long, was poorly maintained and pitted with rust, but the edge still shone with a wicked sharpness. The man stared for a minute, and just as Link was sure he would have to make a noise, he was called back to his duty by his officer. The lance tip rose and the hooves were loud behind his head as the man wheeled away. Link's shoulders sagged and he realised he had been holding his breath. The sound of hooves faded into the darkening evening as he peered cautiously over the bank. Five horsemen dissapeared in the dircetion of the village, and for a moment he was concerned for the safety of everyone living there. He was tempted to follow them and stop any trouble, but dismissed the impulse. He could do a lot more good where he was meant to be going.

He crept further down the stream bed, and negotiated the chunks of rotten wood that had once barred entry to the market. Idly wondering why it had never been repaired if Ganondorf didn't want anyone wandering in, he heaved himself onto the roadway. He braced himself, shaking off the stiffness of the last few minutes, and, with a last glance to where he knew the ranch huddled on the hill in the dusk, he ran forward under the scorched arch into the market. The last gleam of orange from the sun brushed at his back, then it was gone as he passed into the shadows.


	8. Chapter 8: Peace

Link gaped at the back of his hand. Visible there, glowing with a strong golden light, the three triangles of the goddesses, the bottom left lit up the strongest. He could feel an itching that suggested the image was not merely projected on his glove, but was shining from under his skin. He turned his hand this way and that, fascinated, before looking up at the familiar stranger.

'How is this... I had it, all this time?'

Shiek stared at him.

'When the Evil King took the Triforce by force, it sensed his intentions, and broke itself asunder. The pieces hid inside three souls. Ganondorf recieved the Triforce of Power, allowing him to sieze control of the land. You recieved the Triforce of Courage, allowing you to dive continually into temples to fight nightmares, though I truly believe you didn't need the help.'

Link couldn't take his eyes off the shining gold on his hand. Navi seemed equally fascinated. He thought this new information over for a minute, then looked up at the shiekah, his mind racing just ahead of his voice.

'Then the third piece...'

Shiek's eyes betrayed nothing as he raised his hand, letting a wash of gold light gleam through the wrappings. The light intensified, and Link, who had been about to speak, had to screw his eyes up to fight it. Shiek's clothes glowed, then in an instant ripped into shining fragments that swirled around him, twisting and reforming themselves into a simple dress. Link had been transfixed by the whirling cloth, but as the reformed dress settled he looked up and started in alarm. The stranger's eyes opened as she smiled at him, and he knew, immediately, who she was.

'Princess!' He jerked forward to bow, but she saw the movement and checked it with a wave.

'Please, none of that. You can finally call me Zelda.'

He stammered slightly. He had always expected, at the back of his mind, to find the princess again, but had not anticipated the moment. She didn't seem to want him to treat her like royalty, and that made him pause. He glanced at her as he gathered his thoughts. She was beautiful, undeniably so, her hair a dark strawberry blonde, her figure, hugged by the simple dress, was curved and well developed, and he wondered how he had failed so often to work out Shiek's true identity. The eyes were the same as the ones that had pierced him from behind the mask, lively and intelligent, yet now they had softened as she smiled.

'And yes. The Triforce of Wisdom chose me.'

Link ran a hand through his hair.

'I can't believe it was you, all along...'

She seemed pleased with the success of her disguise.

'It had to be a good cover, if I was to avoid detection for years. And when you came back, I felt obliged to help in every way I could.' She didn't mention how far that help had gone. She had kept a closer watch on him than he would have imagined, spreading false rumours about his whereabouts that ensured he would never run into any of Ganondorf's patrols, even ambushing a group as they threatened to intercept him on his way to Lake Hylia. She was even responsible for warding off the Evil King's minions from around the ranch, creating an island of peace he could use to rest and recover. She wondered if he had noticed how the ranch had been mysteriously left alone for the weeks he had been on his quest, and knew that she would never tell him why.

Link was silent as the Princess explained how and why she had disguised herself, recalling the day she had given him the Ocarina and the reason for everything that had followed. As she caught up to the present, she asked for his protection in the tower, and he smiled.

'So does this mean you'll be with me?'

'Of course. We'll end this together.'

He looked relieved, and she felt a sudden instinct to protect him in any way she could. She pushed the maternal urge down.

'If we're to get anywhere, you'll need some of my magic in your arrows. Here...'

Link unslung his bow and held it out, so the princess could hold it, stroke it gently, and a flare of gold ran along the wood. She muttered some words that he couldn't make out, but the echo made his teeth ache, and the bow flashed again, cementing the magic. He stayed quiet as she worked, silently grateful that he would have another person to help him through the dungeon. She handed the bow back with a smile.

'Now it will fire Light Arrows. They'll be useful against-'

She never finished her sentence as the temple was shaken as though the mighty stone walls were sticks caught in a storm. Link stumbled back, his arms flailing, Zelda dropped to one knee as a furious voice roared through the temple.

'You thought you could hide from me forever?'

Link regained his balance as he recognised the voice that had mocked him before, years ago by the drawbridge, and more recently in the Forest Temple, where it had seemed to emenate from the very stones just as it was doing here. He dropped to a fighting stance and swept the temple, sword at the ready, as the voice rumbled on.

'Foolish traitor!'

The princess shouted for him, he turned to her, and again that unsettling echo of magic power that set teeth on edge. The air shimmered as he ran to her, then his hands met smooth crystal, ran frantically over the surface of a prism that had trapped the Princess in a magical bond. Ganondorf's gloating rang in his ears as he smashed his fist desperately against the implacable crystal.

'I knew you would reveal yourself if I let this kid run around on his futile quest! Now...'

The shocks running through the temple intensified, small stones fell from the ceiling and rattled off the flagstones. The princess was shouting but he couldn't hear, then she stopped, looking alarmed, grasping at her throat, and he roared. He brought the sword hilt down on the prism again and again, the blows ringing through the hall and echoing far longer than was normal, but not a crack appeared. Zelda fell back, on the brink of unconciousness, and the prism began to rise into the air. Link shouted in frustration and scrabbled for a handhold, but it slipped from his grasp and rose through the falling ceiling tiles. The blood pounding in his ears almost drowned out the final ultimatum from the Evil King;

'If you want to rescue Zelda, come to my castle!'

The last word unleased a whistling gale that swirled the broken stone through the air, but Link stayed on his feet. A blinding flash, he shook his head, and the prism was gone, leaving only an echo of laughter. A roar of impotent rage escaped him and, still deafened by his own pulse, Link ran through the dust and into the night.

\----

Malon sat looking vaguely at the dark shapes of grass between her feet. Her eyes stared unseeing through the hard soil and into the uncertain future.

A far off clatter broke the still air, and her head snapped up. The sun had long since set, and the wind brought a chill that whispered of summer's end. Her fingers unconciously hugged the blanket tighter around herself as she stared into the dusk, heart pounding. Eventually she could take the slowly approaching hooves no longer, and stood to shout a challenge into the night.

'It's just us lass! What's wrong?'

Her father's voice filled her with relief, and she leant back against the gateway to the ranch. The empty milk wagon rumbled into sight, with Talon peering past the horse and looking concerned. When he saw his daughter's slumped form, he threw the reins to Ingo and jumped down.

'Are you all right?'

She was grateful for the hug after waiting alone in the dark for so long, but was less grateful for the tight grip on her arm as she was questioned.

'Yes, fine. I'm fine. Just.. got a bit lonely, that's all.'

Talon frowned and followed her unblinking gaze over his shoulder to where the Dark Tower squatted in the distance, lit menacingly by the reflection of lava on the bottom of the gathering stormclouds. The rising wind flicked a piece of dirt into his face and he blinked.

'Come on, let's get inside.' He made as if to drag her after the wagon, but she made no resistance and he only had to wave Kafei's inquiring look away.

As the farmhands took the wagon back to storage, Talon took the opportunity to sit his daughter down in the house and gently place a glass of milk in her hands.

'Now tell me what's bothering you. Did something go wrong here while we were away?'

'No, the ranch is fine. It's just...'

She was interrupted by the door banging open as Kafei and Ingo finished racing each other back to the house. They piled into the room grinning, paused as they caught sight of Malon's ashen face, and in response to a glare from Talon, quietly backed outside and eased the door shut again.

Malon took a sip of milk, then raised her eyes from the floor for the first time as the words spilled out in a rush.

'It's Link, he's... he's gone to the tower to fight the king, and he's been gone for hours and I don't know if he'll ever return and...'

Her voice trailed away, as if the past had been a dream and speaking it out loud had solidified it. He might already be dead, and she would never find out...

Talon was looking at her with a strange mix of concern and fear on his face.

'You mean, he was here, and now he's gone to...'

'Yes. He's gone to finish his quest. One way or the other, the future is decided tonight.'

He was taken aback slightly by the lack of emotion in her voice, and was moved to grip her shoulder. She was silent, and he sought for something to say among the turmoil in his own head.

'And you thought freezing yourself out there would help him... how?'

Malon smiled but said nothing. Talon ran a hand through his thinning hair.

'And there's no way we can help, is there?'

'That's the worst part... all I can do is sit and wait. Just like always.'

Father and daughter sat in silence for a few minutes. The wind rattled the shutters slightly and Talon glanced up.

'Maybe there is something we can do...'

Malon jerked into attentiveness.

'What?'

'Nothing to help directly, but every little helps right?'

Malon's eyes were ablaze again, and he grinned at her.

'That's more like it! Now, while we were leaving Kakariko earlier after ah, business discussions, one of those gloomy patrols came in and started throwing their weight around. Caused quite a bit of arguing, let me tell you. Last I saw, Mutoh was having quite a shouting match with the leader. I would have stayed but I didn't want to put Kafei in danger.'

'So, if we were to go to the village, do you think we could help stir people up against his soldiers?'

'Why not? If history is being made, I'd rather be a part of it than sit around worrying! And it'll give Link less to worry about on his way back.'

Malon was quite animated now, pacing the room and grinning.

'If we set off now, we can-'

She was cut off abruptly by a huge crash that shook the house and made her stumble. Grabbing the table for support, she could hear only the aftershock as it rumbled past, followed by a sudden brief clatter of rain against the window, and then the screams of the horses and Ingo's panicked shouts as sound returned.

'What in tarnation-!' Talon waved a hand to be helped up from the floor, and she pulled him to his feet before dashing outside. Shouting to Ingo, he replied that the horses were alright but terrified, and she stared round wildly for the source of the noise. The far off tower was embroiled in a storm, clouds racing and fusing with each other, bolts of lightning chased each other through the turmoil as the rain began to fall.

'Was that thunder? By the goddesses, that was some noise!' Talon came puffing up behind her, but she didn't hear.

'It's begun.'

\----

Link ducked, hurting his stomach muscles as he jerked himself sideways in a desperate attempt to-

The air thrummed as the giant axe blade passed inches from his head, the wind of its passage ruffling his hair as he stumbled awkwardly to recover himself from his wild dive. He managed to push himself back with his swordblade barely in time to avoid the second axe as it swung down to obliterate the tiles he had been standing on. He darted backwards, snatching a breath, eyes flickering between the two Iron Knuckles as the heavier tried to retrieve its weapon from the floor. He had dented the armour of one, but it had only fallen off and allowed the suit to move more quickly.

He felt the sweat prickle his back. One of these creatures was a considerable challenge, but two at the same time had robbed him of time to think and had kept him dancing from the moment he had entered the room. There was no way he could survive even one direct hit from those axes, even a glancing blow could cripple him for life, and he was so close to his goal...

No! Despair was useless, he had not fought through all the puzzles and monsters in this tower to fail now! The monsters were tough though, smarter and faster than the relics he had faced in the desert. They covered each other's attacks, sticking close together in an almost impenetrable defence. In a war of attrition, there wasn't even a contest. He would have to try something stupid. Or brave, which was essentially the same thing.

The black suit had waited for his heavily armoured comrade to tear its weapon out of the ground before attacking, now it rolled its shoulders and started a slow run forwards. Link tightened his grip on his sword, sweat from his palms making his gloves damp. Again he wondered how the mind could notice pointless details in a fight, but the thought was left behind as he darted to avoid the sudden cut of the axe. He ran to the side. The black suit was chasing him back towards the white, knowing that if he turned to engage the new threat it could attack from the rear. Link licked his lips. Navi could do nothing to monsters with no eyes or weaknesses, he would have to make a move soon.

He glared at the black suit for a moment, then turned to run directly at the white. Both suits seemed to pause for a second in the face of such a stupid tactic, then continued forwards. He sidestepped an axe swing that ruined yet more of the floor tiles, swung his sword in a wild backhanded blow at the head of the armour, and rejoiced inwardly when it landed perfectly across the gleaming faceplate. The golden plates on his arms had magnified his strength further, and the armour dented like card. The creature staggered back, losing grip on the axe for a moment, giving Link time to spin and face the black suit. His stomach clenched at how close it was, it was faster than he had thought! The monster swung wild blows from side to side, quick, powerful blows that would disintegrate an ox. Link waited a moment then, when the flashing blade was no more than six feet away, threw himself in a desperate dive between the creature's legs. It still had the weight to crush him, but he passed safely through the charge. The weight of the armour and axe carried the monster forward, and Link felt like shouting in triumph as the massive blade sheared straight through the white suit in a blaze of sparks and fire.

A roar, the screech of falling metal, and the black suit fell on top of the scattered remains of its comrade. Link ran forwards as the creature tried to twist round, then tried to raise its axe to block the howling downward stroke. The extra strength in his arms sent the steel straight through the axe handle, then another flurry of wild attacks drove in the cuirass, gauntlets, and visor. He continued flailing at the pile long after the gout of flames that consumed the ghost bound to the armour.

'Link!'

He checked his sword, panting.

'Link! Listen to me!'

He closed his eyes briefly.

'I hope I never see another one of those things in my life.'

Navi laughed nervously. He seemed to have calmed down.

'In fact, if I ever see someone in armour again, you might have to restrain me. I'll have a fit or something.'

He stretched his aching sword arm.

'We must be close now...'

Navi looked thoughtful. 'If each floor is the same size, we should have a couple more before the top of the tower. Unless the rest of it is just a big staircase.'

Link snorted. 'Well, I live in hope.' He uncorked a bottle that was miraculously still intact, and swilled the small amount of milk in the bottom around. Navi noticed the faraway look in his eye and darted up to his face.

'Hey! Pay attention! Time for dreaming later, ok?'

Link said nothing and swigged the dregs of the milk.

'Why are you keeping the bottle? It's just taking up space.'

He paused for a moment, then closed the pouch. 'Luck, I suppose.'

'Do you feel like you need it?'

'I don't know... We've done so much it's like we can't fail. I can't even accept that we might. But we've still got the fight of our lives ahead of us...'

'And we're that much closer to the end. Come on, I don't want to stay here any more than you do.'

The next room was different, the flickering torches showed not a low ceiling but a shaft going up, with a central tower that vanished into the gloom.

'How do you suppose we climb that?'

'I think we- look, there's a door over there...'

They were speaking in whispers, as if to hide themselves from the malignant presence above for as long as possible, though he surely knew they were there. The next room curved up to the left, and his footsteps were muffled by a deep carpet. The sudden silence, even when walking, was unnerving.

'Well, a giant staircase going up. Maybe a fool's hope is the best kind.'

Navi smirked. 'Let's hope we have more than a fool's hope.'

The stair climbed inevitably toward the future, the top always hidden around the next curve. Link began breathing deeply, looking around for details that would distract him from the climb, then shook his head. With each step, faint organ music filtered down towards them.

After an age, the stair ended at an ornate slab that could only hide one thing. Navi's voice was small.

'Well, this is it...'

Link rolled his shoulders again, letting out a deep breath. His stomach had knotted itself into a miniscule ball, and he felt sick.

'It doesn't feel right. Like there should be a gap, more time, like there's something else for us to do first...'

'There's nothing Left Link. Nothing but the here and now.'

'I know.'

He set his palms slowly on the door, one after the other. For a moment he gazed into the stone, seeing old friends, the forest, the Princess, all the previous gaurdians he had destroyed, and then a flash of red hair that seemed to reflect light, just for a second, onto his face.

'Let's go.'

\----

Rising wind whipped the hair of the girl who lay sprawled in the dirt, throwing grit into the eyes of the spectators. The hulking figure raised his spear as his horse shifted.

'I say again, we are here to keep the peace!'

Uncomfortable shifting, murmurs from the crowd. Horses stamped in the cool night air. The patrol leader slid down from horseback to address the people of Kakariko who had ventured outside to investigate the commotion.

'We have been charged with keeping you peaceful, so I need you to be quiet! That is all! That, and any information you have regarding-'

He was cut off as a rock glanced across his temple, whipping his head round to a small yet defiant cheer from the crowd. A cheer that halted abruptly as the other three horsemen readied their weapons. Their leader wiped blood from his hair.

'Who dares-?'

'I do!'

People hurried aside under the soldier's baleful gaze, revealing the figure of Mutoh, the head carpenter, standing with his arms crossed and legs apart, a scornful expression on his face.

'Worm!' Striding forward, the leader shifted his grip on his spear. 'Is this your idea of peaceful behaviour?'

'Is it yours?' Mutoh barked back, glaring at the man who stood mere feet away. The girl he had previously thrown to the ground used the moment to scurry, unnoticed, back into the throng.

The three soldiers of the patrol tightened their grips and looked nervously around at the crush of people. The dim lamplight that lit the village cast most of the crowd into shadow, so they appeared as one living mass. One mass that was shifting restlessly as Mutoh and the patrolman shouted into each others faces from inches away.

'If you defy the Great King's rule you will all be punished! All of you, for one man's foolishness!'

'It took one fool to cause all this in the first place! Get your men out of here before I lose my temper!'

Mutoh's head snapped round as the butt of the spear caught him on the jaw.

'You see what happens! I don't want to have to-'

What he didn't want to do was never discovered, at that exact moment thunder rent the sky, a huge rolling boom that shook the earth itself and caused most of the assembled people to stumble. The patrolman stumbled himself, and Mutoh siezed the oppurtunity to plant a fist cleanly in the centre of his nose. The man reeled back, stumbling through a sudden curtain of raindrops that drove through the square, then began a shambling run as the carpenter's hand closed on the abandoned spear.

Most of the crowd regained their feet and, following Mutoh's lead, a hail of rocks, mud, and even roof tiles rained on the patrol. Unarmoured, the horses reared and screamed in the dying rumbles of thunder, their riders desperately trying to protect themselves from the bombardment. Their leader hauled himself up onto his skittish horse, glanced round at the villagers creeping behind his squad, at the mass of bodies in the torchlight, and finally at the huge, vengeful man bearing down on him, and reached a hasty decision.

'Run!'

His men needed no encouragment, they were barely holding their horses as it was, and they wheeled round to gallop under the gate, bowling aside the few brave souls in their way. The leader's mind raced, his nose streaming blood, even as they ran. They would go to the gaurdhouse inside the drawbridge of the castle, gather what men of the other patrols were there, and return in force. A good plan, and he glanced round disdainfully at the villagers falling behind. That glance turned to fear as he wrenched himself sideways to avoid his own spear, whistling out of the darkness.

Mutoh heard the horse stumble and the curse from the rider, knew he had missed, and muttered to himself. Next time, he thought, and turned to the crowd. The rebellious flames were cooling, replaced by fear.

'They'll be back, won't they?'

'What will we do?'

'Don't be afraid!' The shout cut through the clamour. Mutoh clambered onto one of the boxes that edged the square, just as the clouds caught up with the rain that had been driven outwards. Light drops fell, sizzling on torches, and unnoticed on people.

'They might come back, to try and take what is ours! But I say we keep going with what we have! We follow them, and beat them! We have the numbers and the drive, something they lack! We might not be able to touch the King, but we can give him a bloody nose!'

The harder hearts amongst them roared their approval, hands reached for tools and weapons, and the shouts carried into the night.

\----

'These toys...they are too much for you...'

Link gripped his sword and glanced round the room for what felt like the hundredth time. Zelda, floating in her crystal, eyes wide, Navi, glaring forwards to the giant pipe organ that dominated the far wall, and the bulky shape of a man, covered by a cape, that stood imposingly in front of it.

'I command you to return them to me!'

A whirl of the cape, the man turned, and Link was face to face with the monster from his nightmares! No magic seperated them, no voice projection or memory, a real man, in the same room, now! It felt so unreal, yet his stomach clenched in a fear that was all too believable. The outline of the Triforce gleamed on the dark hand for a moment, identical to the marks on his own and the princess's, and suddenly his vision dimmed, his teeth were on edge, and waves of energy flowed out, not so much seen as felt, the brain filling in its best guess over his vision, and Navi was snatched backwards with a cry.

Link had to set his body against the flow. Leaning forwards, he risked a glance over his shoulder. The fairy was pinned, immobile, against the door they had used what felt like hours ago.

'Link! I can't help you, I can't move!'

'Are you ok?'

'Yes, but I can't get close! You're on your own, I'm so sorry!'

The flow changed, altered, and it felt as though a vast power gathered in the centre of the room. It twisted and coiled, then abruptly exploded. A crack, a rumble like stone being torn apart, and the clouds outside rushed into each other in a massive roll of thunder that reverberated from the tower, pushing a sheet of rain ahead of it. Link stumbled forwards, free of the pressure, with his hands clamped to his ears.

'Weak!' and with that, Ganondorf laughed and rushed forwards, fist clenched. The hero barely had time to realise what was happening before the Dark King was upon him, one massive fist swinging, and the mirror shield desperately caught the blow. All the breath knocked out of him, Link staggered backwards, deafened, gut wrenched in sudden, chilling fear, all plans and fighting styles swamped by panic as he swung the shield round to meet the next blow. The impact shook his teeth, and he flailed wildly with the sword at the huge figure in front of him. Mocking laughter penetrated the ringing in his ears, the thunder was dying away, his head was clearing...

'Is this it? Is this the hero who has rampaged through my temples, destroying everything in his path?' Ganondorf threw his head back to laugh, giving Link the time to dash quickly to the side, opening the gap and letting himself think. He shook his head. He was recovering from the shock of the first attack, and though the fear still chilled his sweat, he could think more clearly. Sense drifted back into his brain as he dropped to a fighting crouch.

The Evil King spared him a glance, cracking huge knuckles one at a time.

'Well you look like you know what you're doing. I suppose that's something-'

A sudden dash, again the fists reaching for him from feet away, but he was ready this time, feet dancing sideways as the shield and sword blocked the blows. Zelda hardly dared to breathe, gazing at the lightning fast exchange of swings and parrys that weaved across the floor. Ganondorf's blows were hugely powerful, short, precise strikes that would have knocked a cow unconcious, but somehow Link was never quite where they landed, always weaving to the side, the blade turning the blows just enough to miss. Now there were openings, and the huge blade flickered out again and again, drawing blood from a multitude of small cuts. Ganondorf grunted as the edge laid open the back of his hand, feinted, and landed a powerful kick on the shield that send the boy reeling backwards.

'Not bad. I'll give you that.' He rubbed the back of his hand. 'Let's make this more challenging...'

The fist clenched again, he turned, and with a roar and a burst of dark flames landed a hugely powerful punch in the centre of the organ. The entire room shook, dust started from the walls and ceiling, and the organ crumpled. Restraints snapped and buckled, and the huge metal pipes came thundering down, some bringing chunks of the wall with them. Ceiling tiles and pipes rained, smashing great holes in the floor and littering what was left with rubble and metal. Link choked on the dust, felt the fear again. His constant weaving and dodging would be seriously hampered by the ruined floor and obstacles, maybe it was time to try something new...

He glanced up to check on Zelda, and was relieved to see the prism had endured the rain of stone from above. The princess was waving to get his attention, and began miming a bow and arrow motion. Of course, the light arrows! But where was he going to get an opening to use a bow?

The dust whirled, his head jerked round, and he met the roaring charge of his opponent head on. Fists and sword clashed, rang, swung again, the two combatants locked in place by the devastation around them. Link fought desperately, but his anger was not enough, he was much smaller than Ganondorf, and he had to take a step back. Then another, and another...

Again dancing out of the way, but this time backwards, and his back crashed against a fallen chunk of the ceiling, trapping him. As he sought desperately for a way out, Ganondorf laughed and charged, the dark flames crackling in his fist again. Link set himself to meet the attack, then his whole body thrilled with excitement as the charging figure stumbled, a rock had flown out from underfoot to throw him completely off balance, and the hero seized his chance. With a roar he thrust the sword forwards. Ganondorf twisted to the side, but not fast enough. The blade caught him on the side, and Link felt it grate across rib and muscle as the king let out a pained grunt. He jerked aside, Link backswung violently but he was clear, the dark figure leaping backwards several feet, then again into the air.

Thick blood oozed from the gash as Ganondorf levitated to the centre of the room. He let out a roar that cleared most of the debris to the edges of the room, then raised his arm. Lightning crackled and raced along the armour, echoed by stabs of light illuminating the clouds outside. Link's mind raced, it was time to gamble this small opening, and he cast his shield aside. Reaching back for his bow, he quickly nocked an arrow, but another furious shout made him jump madly aside as a bolt of lightning smashed the floor where he had stood.

Sword in his left hand, bow in his right, Link ran madly, trying to find somewhere to draw breath, but the bolts rained down with unmatched ferocity and most of the debris had been swept aside or fallen through the floor. He jumped one of the holes now, lightning flashing behind him, but there was no time. Unless-

'Link! Remember the forest temple!' Navi's shout dimly penetrated his mind, and he knew he could only have one shot. Skidding to a halt, he locked his eyes on the floating figure, nerves on fire for the telltale flash of light. It came, the sword swung with the speed of terror, and the latest bolt of light spiralled to the side to destroy part of the already ruined wall. Another flash, he swung again, and he gritted his teeth. He couldn't keep this up, surely if he angled the sword just right-

This last bolt rebounded directly at its source, and he shouted, it seemed he was moving faster than normal as the lightning enveloped the shocked Ganondorf. Link flung his sword aside, drew the arrow, and glared down it to where the Evil King was shaking off the crawling lightning. Only one shot, he thought, and loosed. A burst of purest light raced from the bow straight to the target, and as the arrow embedded itself next to Ganondorf's heart, the light filled him, raced across and through him, and Link had scooped up the sword and was already running as the figure sank to the floor. The dark head was raised, a look of purest hatred on his features as he raised his hand, but the light blocked the dark magic for those few crucial seconds it took for Link to leap a gap, run forward, and Zelda let out an unheard scream of delight as the legendary sword burst straight through Ganondorf's torso.

Anger mixed with confusion as Ganondorf's breath was torn from him in an explosive gasp, but even as he coughed thick blood onto his armour, the huge hands were reaching for the boy who had challenged him, reaching to choke the life from his impudent body, but the hands were slow, they weren't obeying him and there was another grunt as the sword was retrieved. Link stepped backwards, disbelieving, his mind only now catching up with events. He allowed himself to relax for a second, his shoulders slumped as the huge body swayed in front of him, hands flexing. The power that kept Zelda trapped was fading, she was free, it was finished. Just as the princess's feet touched the floor, Ganondorf's body fell backwards with an evil smile still twisting his features. Link relaxed further, lowered his sword...

Then just as the falling body hit the floor, the world exploded.

\----

Malon squinted into the darkness, her cloak flapping wildly in the sudden wind.

'Come on, Dad!'

Talon grumbled but ran faster to join his daughter at the ranch gate. Despite the lateness of the hour, Malon was quite animated, no signs of tiredness on her face as she contemplated the chance of action.

'I've told Ingo to stay here and keep Kafei out of trouble. I don't want him mixed up in anything that goes badly.'

He squinted into the rain for a moment.

'Mind, I don't particularly want anything to happen to you either. So keep your head on straight, alright?'

Malon nodded distractedly, eyes fixed on the far off tower as lightning danced around the peak. The flashes came every few seconds now, and she wondered what that meant. Impatient, she took Talon's wrist and they started jogging down the path, her frustration building as the darkness and rain limited their pace. A minute had passed, then two, when she was suddenly jerked to a stop.

'There, look!'

She screwed her eyes up through the darkness, and now the lightning was not the only illumination. Torchlight blazed from the entrance to the village, and she could make out a mob of people streaming out into the field.

'Something's happening, Dad!'

'Looks like they didn't need us! Come on!'

Heavy farm boots splashed in the field. Malon ran towards the crowd, the freezing rain like tiny daggers cutting and stinging at her face, but she ignored it, running as fast as she dared in the poor light.

The mob rushed noisily towards the castle drawbridge where now more lamps were being hastily lit as Ganondorf's most loyal supporters hurried to arrange themselves into some kind of defensive force. The initial patrol, having done its job, had been wheeled back towards the village, its leader fuming over his earlier humiliation and the brashness of the villagers. Boldened by additional horsemen, he took men out to meet the mob in the field, and to buy the larger force time to prepare.

Talon slowed his run slightly to take in what was happening. The horsemen formed a wall and shouted insults, waved their weapons defiantly, then were swept up in the vast crowd of angry villagers. Malon winced as a horse screamed and fell, hooves flailing, onto its back, the other horses, badly trained and nervous, starting running wild, and men were thrown down. The patrol leader bellowed furiously, thrust his spear into the mass, but Mutoh was there to catch the tip, the carpenter yanked the man out of the saddle and the bellows died with him as the crowd swarmed over him and trampled his skull into the mud. Horses swarmed and broke from the fight, Malon swerved to avoid one as she finally reached the melee. She stopped to catch her breath, glancing wildly around, then the fire in her veins turned to fear as she realised she was unarmed and not much good at fighting even if she had been. She ducked her head and ran, the fight had seemed so clear and laid out when she had been running and could see everything, now it had swallowed her and everything was noise and confusion. A few horsemen were still fighting bitterly, stabbing and slashing at the swarming villagers, and each fight would clamour and shout for a few seconds before turning silent as each side caught their breath.

The flow of people was still towards the castle though, horses being pressed back by the crush, men being pulled from their backs and knocked unconcious or worse. One unseated man roared and swung his axe like a madman, cutting and swinging constantly to create a space around himself and, as Malon found herself pushed up behind him, she decided she might as well do something and, heart in her mouth, kicked the axeman in the back to send him sprawling forwards into a hammer blow that knocked him cleanly out.

'Malon! What on earth are you doing here?' Mutoh stepped over the fallen enemy and glared around, but the few remaining soldiers were hurriedly rushing back to the makeshift bastion at the drawbridge as the villagers caught their breath.

'We thought we'd, um, come and stir you up a bit.' The carpenter grinned and straightened up as he realised the enemy had fled for now.

'Well, I appreciate the thought! Talon, you dog, I told you to go home before there was trouble!'

Talon pushed himself through the crowd, massaging his knuckles absent mindedly.

'Miss Patience here fancied a fight. Nothing like knocking a few heads before bed, just like her mother.'

Malon looked pleased with herself as Mutoh roared with laughter.

'Well you picked a good night for it, we happened to have the same idea! Bit of luck that, eh? Any particular reason you chose tonight for a relaxing brawl?'

Malon's face fell slightly as the full importance of the night's events came back to her.

'Do you remember Link? Well... tonight...'

The men followed her gaze to the looming tower, lightning coming thick and fast now, and even appearing to flicker inside. Mutoh frowned as she explained, then huffed the rain from his moustache. Malon's voice faded away, a frown creasing her forehead. What was happening up there? Had Link reached his goal? Her stomach twisted as she thought of the future, so uncertain, that was being decided with every minute that passed.

The crowd moved and she blinked. The surge of people carried her further towards the castle, and she ran to join her father near the front. The villagers were keeping up the momentum of their attack, driving onwards towards the huddle of men barricaded across the drawbridge. She strode out in front, fire back in her veins, people shouting all around her, and she grinned. Better than sitting doing nothing...

As the distance closed the crowd sped up, imperceptibly at first, then faster, running and shouting through the rain, feeling more alive than they had in years-

A flash brighter than any lightning, a roar of distressed stone and splintering glass, and a shock that threw running figures to the ground. Malon stumbled into Talon, and clung to the stocky frame of her father as he skidded to a halt.

'What the-!'

He gaped ahead, eyes wide, and she followed his gaze as her heart stood still. The tower was leaning, the top section all but gone as stones the size of cows rained on the ruins of castle town. The soldiers at the barricade looked nervously over their shoulders as another huge crack split the air, and a section of wall and staircase ponderously came free of the structure and crashed down through the lower levels.

Malon felt as though her heart had stopped, emotions raging for control. What had happened? It seemed so unreal, the forbidding show of power that had loomed over the kingdom was crashing to the ground as she stood, unaware of her surroundings. Who had won? Was Link still inside? Had he rescued the princess after all? So many questions, then her body caught up with her and she took a deep breath, her heart beat again as she became dimly aware of Talon shouting at her.

'Malon! Are you hurt?'

'Um, no, I'm fine-'

Confusion reigned, people shouted in wonder at the spectacle, in anger at the years they had endured, and in pain as a few fragments of stained glass mingled with the rain. The ragtag men at the entrance to the town were glancing around in fear, a few had taken their chances and slipped away into the ruins, and Mutoh took the chance to roar people forwards again for one last effort. Malon stood as the crowd swirled around her, staring unblinking at the tower that now listed alarmingly to one side. Had he got out?

\----

'Go! Go! Run!'

Link pumped his aching legs furiously, pounding them into the stone floor as he supported his shield overhead with both hands. The princess half ran, half clung to him under the shelter as falling stones rained down through the choking dust.

They had reached the bottom floor, Link realised, finally! His memories were a blur of dust, flames, falling stone, monsters rushing at them in an attempt to delay their flight, but he had battered them aside and they had ran, ran through barely recognisable rooms and over staircases that crumbled away beneath their feet. His arms shook as chunks of flaming rock smashed themselves on his shield, but they kept going and through this final door and there was the staircase out, the rich carpet bright with flames and strewn with rubble, but the ceiling seemed intact and he pushed the princess ahead of him, forgoing protection for speed.

'Just run!'

She ran ahead of him, legs flashing under her skirt that she had torn herself in order to run, and he squinted ahead. He could make out the exit, just a little bit further-

Zelda shrieked and darted to the side as an entire section of roof came away at once, dragged down by a falling chunk of masonry from above, and Link panicked as the dust obscured her. He thrust his arms frantically ahead of him, found her arm and pulled her up to find she was unhurt, and they kept running, blinded, as dust and fire boiled up behind them-

\----

Malon swung the cloak from her shoulders. The fight at the drawbridge had been short, most of Ganondorf's remaining human soldiers had fled at the sight of the tower crumbling. The few that remained had fought viciously but hopelessly, inflicting a few casaulties before being overwhelmed. Dust from the collapsing building stung her eyes as she hurriedly wrapped her cloak around her father's arm.

'Ow! Watch what you're doing, lass!'

'Sorry, sorry. It's not that deep, you'll be fine.'

Talon grimaced as he flexed his arm. 'It could have been worse, I suppose-hey! Where do you think you're going?'

'I need to go and find Link!' She shook his hand off and started into the town, but a big arm caught her and held her back.

'Don't even think about it miss.' Mutoh looked amused by her expression for a moment, then it had passed and his face was serious.

'We've dealt with that lot, but the town is still swarming with those creatures. There's no way you would come out of there alive, so listen to me.' She glared up at him from under the strands of wet hair that plastered her face. 'We've done all we can here.'

'So we're meant to just wait around?' Frustration and tears choked her voice. 'Just sit here and tidy up this bit of road while he could be lying injured under... under all that?'

Talon stumped through the now quiet crowd towards the argument, and laid his hand on his daughter's arm. She whipped round, tears starting in her eyes, and he recalled his suspicions about her feelings towards the hero. Gently, he drew her into his arms and winced as she buried her face in his injured shoulder.

'Listen to me. He can handle himself, we know that for certain. But I'm not risking losing you in there. We help the wounded here and wait for him to come back, ok?'

They stood for some time as the crowd moved slowly around them, always wary of the end of the road where the ruins sprawled, the vague cries of the monsters occasionally audible. Malon raised her head at a distant crashing sound, and stared unseeing towards the ruin of the tower.

'I just wish I knew what was happening...'

\----

Link grunted as he wrenched the Master Sword from the ground and wheeled around to run, legs aching, at the monstrosity in front of him. The barrage of light arrows had disorientated it long enough for him to retrieve the blade, and it felt reassuring in his hand. The beast shuffled upright and roared, smashing chunks of debris aside in rage. He could take this chance while it was angry, strike at the chest of the monster that stood twice his own height-

The roar alerted him, he saw the blade screaming down in the corner of his eye, but he was already moving too fast and there was only just enough time to wrench the shield up to block the blow. The impact struck sparks from the mirrored surface, drove the hero to his knees, and he yelled aloud as his arm splintered from the force with an echoing crack. The shield was intact, he registered through the haze, the pain roaring at his mind louder than the thunder in the sky, and some instinct drove his body as he thrust his sword wildly in front, sending it crunching through the muscular knee. Another roar of pain split the air and Link wrenched the blade free, staggering backwards with his arm tucked to his body, blearily searching for something to hide behind, anything...

He stumbled behind a vast chunk of rock that had once formed an ornate part of the tower, the roars of the monster in his ears, and almost collapsed against it, hissing through his teeth with the pain.

'Link! Are you alright?'

At least Navi was back with him. He tried to bite back the anger in his voice, anger at himself for this crippling injury that could make him an easy target...

'Stupid bloody question. Broken. It's bad.' His voice was a hiss. He fumbled the shield to the ground to remove the weight, and then groaned through gritted teeth as he realised the straps had been holding his arm together.

Navi looked at his twisted face with real fear. He was exhausted, almost at his limit, and she couldn't bring herself to make him keep fighting. Not as if there was a choice, though. She peeped over the rock to see that the creature that had been Ganondorf had begun looking around for its opponent, demolishing rubble in its search. She ducked back down.

'Can you still fight? I wouldn't normally ask, but, you know...'

Link grimaced in an attempt at a smile, breathing hard from the pain. He tried to lift the shield from the ground but it slipped and fell.

'Ah- I can still use the sword, but I think the bow and shield are done...'

'I think you did enough with the bow, you stripped some of his magic away to drop the barrier. All you need to do now is beat him into submission so Zelda can-'

'All? Hah! Yeah, I'll just get round to that...' He groaned again, and closed his eyes to gather his strength. They snapped open a second later as Ganon's roar sounded louder than ever, terrifyingly close, and his veins turned to ice yet again. Navi darted sideways for a look and almost immediately shrieked at him to run. He snatched the sword up and ran, abandoning everything else, as a blade thicker than his body pulverised the chunk of rock behind him. Rubble rained on his back as the monster vented its rage on the stone, but he was clear.

He swung round to face the behemoth. It was glaring and snorting, little eyes gleaming red with pain and anger, and he saw that the fight had taken its toll on both sides. The monster was hunched, moving slowly, obviously hurt and wary. Link supposed he looked no better himself. The sword hung loosely from his left hand, his right was tucked in to his body to dull the pain, and he could barely stand. His main advantage, agility, was being consumed by exhaustion, and he knew he would have to end it before he simply collapsed.

He licked his lips and hefted the sword. It seemed to have tripled in weight since he had left the ranch those scant few hours ago. The creature's head tossed wildly, he knew it was getting ready to charge, so he went with the element of surprise and ran himself, going from stopped to a full sprint within three steps, calling on reserves of energy he had never expected, and the deep set eyes of his enemy were suddenly feaful. The pain dimmed, even the feeling in his legs went, he seemed to be watching himself from several feet behind, watching agahst as he ran towards the wicked blades in front. The swords flew down again, but he had regained his agility for a precious few seconds and twisted to avoid them, the edges singing as they passed his head, and he was through. He jumped, jumped again off the wounded knee as the monster reared back, his broken arm flailed wildly, pain forgotten, to grab one of the twisted horns in front. His boots scrabbled for purchase on the great chest, and he heaved himself forward, the pain from his arm setting his mind on fire and he did not realise that he screamed as he swung his fist as hard as possible into the wrinkled face. The sword handle crushed bone, the fist drew blood, and the monster roared again, flailing and rearing back even further in pain.

Link smashed his fist down again and again, screaming in agony and rage, then the weight of the sword registered in his mind and he swung it round in his hand. The tiny red eyes glared up at him in fear, reflecting the lightning that raced down across the town. A flicker of pity, then the pain of holding his whole weight on a shattered arm clouded his brain again, and he swung the sword down into the tough flesh. Again and again, his vision clouded in red, his ears numb from the roars of the creature. The heavy blade smashed down yet again, and suddenly he was falling, and his body acted like lightning, pushing him away to avoid being crushed by the falling weight of the creature. He landed heavily on his back, all the wind knocked from his body in an instant. A second of blinking at the sky, then he rolled himself upright. Ganon was lying in front of him, his ruined face locked on the hero as his body struggled to rise. He vaguely registered Zelda shouting from behind him, a blinding light crawled all over the Evil King, and he understood. He scooped the sword from the dirt, stepped forward and thrust-

\----

Link stood for a moment, his mind catching up with the confusion of the recent events. He didn't appear to be standing on anything, he was just standing. The princess stood in front of him, her dress torn and stained, but her expression one of purest joy. He looked round wearily as she explained, the seven sages, Ganondorf being sealed, the land purifying itself already. He pulled his gaze away from the clouds in the distance to look Zelda in the eye.

'So it's over?'

She smiled. 'Yes Link. It's finally over. I, and the people of this kingdom, cannot thank you enough.'

His body sagged in relief and tiredness, and he laughed. It was over! He had done the impossible, and now there was nothing left to do. He felt lightheaded, his tiredness washing away, even the pain in his arm barely noticeable. Zelda spoke of a few more things, then fell silent.

'So...what happens now? I'm a hero without a quest.' He smiled at the thought of being free of his crushing responsibilities. The princess answered his smile.

'Well, you have a choice...' He frowned.

'You still have the Master Sword and the Ocarina. I can use them to send you back in time, back to before this all began. I can give you a message for my younger self and we can stop this all from happening, somewhere. You will be free to live your life, to grow up normally, be just a boy.'

His mind reeled. He knew it was possible, and it seemed a tempting prospect, but it wasn't as though he could erase these events from happening. They had already happened, and would stay happened here while he went back to somewhere else... The travelling in time had always confused him after a while, and he frowned. Zelda saw his expression.

'I see that isn't... totally appealling. In this timeline, you would be a hero, you can help us rebuild, I could use you around the place, the world would be clean and pure...' here she gave him a sly smile that betrayed how much she knew about his life; 'And I'm sure you have reasons of your own for staying.'

He gazed unseeing into the void, mind in turmoil. All those plans for the future, now possible, and his ears echoed with a memory of song on a summer day. If he went back he could spare the country all those years of suffering, but he would lose so much in the process... He looked at the princess, utterly lost, and she stepped closer and took his arm.

'I don't know, I want to stay, I really do, but-'

She pressed a finger to his lips and laughed. 'Stop worrying. The nature of time, well, I can send you back whenever you choose. And no matter how long you left it, you would go back to a new life, ten years old again.'

He grinned.

'I'll stay, I think. After all, what would you do without me?'

\----

Malon absent mindedly tightened her father's bandage after checking it for the fourth or fifth time. There wasn't much to do, really. The few wounded were being looked after, the rough barricade had been dismantled, people had drifted back to Kakariko for food or for shelter. The revolutionary flames had died with the storm, and people were wandering aimlessly in the small hours of the morning. She was glad the rain had nearly stopped, at least, though her stomach was still knotted with anxiety about Link, and frustration at how little she could do.

It was just before dawn that a cool wind blew, somehow refreshing after a night spent mostly in the open. It blew away the remnants of the rain and with it came a strange noise. The farmgirl looked around to see if anyone else had noticed, but most people were still engrossed in their thoughts, lost for something to do. She took afew tentative steps down the wide road into town, and again found her father's wrist on her arm.

'Haven't you been listening, lass?'

'Haven't you?' she was impatient, anxious, and Talon frowned at her before the sound reached his ears.

'What on earth..?' Before he could stop her, Malon had shaken his hand away and was running towards the ruins. He grumbled and started after her.

Malon slowed as she reached the town square, and gazed round in wonder. The pale light of dawn was creeping into the world, the sky above the far hills tinging pink, and she could make out what was happening well enough. As the wan light rose, the shambling corpses that roamed the streets were halting, swaying, none of them paying her any attention, then before her horrified eyes each of them burst into wild flame. She put her hands to her mouth at the sound, but they were not screams of terror. They sounded... thankful, as if they were finally being granted the death that had been denied to them long ago.

Talon jogged up behind her and his admonishment died on his lips as he took in the scene. The noise was louder now, rising with the dawn mist, and more people came from the drawbridge to see what was going on. Everywhere the monsters burned, some lying down and simply waiting, none fighting, until all that was left were piles of ash.

The villagers gazed around in wonder, some shouting, the rumble growing until Malon's clear voice called for silence. She had ventured further than anyone, almost to the well in the centre of the square, and now she squinted along the path to the castle. The sky was pink now, the sun just peering over the horizon, and she twisted her eyes up to see along the path. It looked like... a hunched figure approaching. She called for quiet and it came instantly.

The shape approached unevenly, shuffling through the dust, until it drew nearer and resolved into two figures, one leaning heavily on the other. Slow, heavy steps brought them into the square, where they at last seemed to notice the silence, the crowd of people, and the tension in the air, and stopped.

The man gazed blearily around at the silent crowd, his face screwed up in pain and tiredness, his arm hanging loosley in a rough sling fashioned from strips torn from a dress, his tunic ripped, burnt, and caked with dust and mud. However, his eyes shone with life even as his body leant, battered on the woman next to him. Though she was crouched slightly, her simple dress dirty and torn to the knee, her figure was imposing, regal, framed by waist length blonde hair, and her eyes too sparkled as she took in the scene. The silence stretched, people shuffled, then the pair's faces broke almost simultaneously into wide smiles that told the story instantly. Talon broke the silence with a great roar of joy, and before it died more people took it up, the ruins echoing with cheers and shouts of laughter in the dawn light.

Link smiled wearily, the pain in his arm had returned, and he was exhausted. He eased himself upright. The cheers of the crowd rang in his ears, the princess beside him was laughing at the unexpected reception, but he wasn't paying attention and the sounds seemed to come from a great distance away. He scanned the mass of bodies unhurriedly, and the flash of flaming red told him he was right. Malon stood, quiet and still in the front rank of shouting people, the crowd swirling around her, with tears in her eyes and a smile of purest happiness lighting up her features. Her gleaming eyes were locked on his, burning away his tiredness, and he couldn't help smiling bashfully back at her. She seemed even more beautiful than he remembered, and the sound of the crowd faded from his mind as he gazed at her face in the dawn light.

All the old feelings he had fought with were returning, all his hopes and dreams for the future flashed through his mind and he took a step forward almost unconciously. The crowd took this as a signal and raced towards them, Malon sprinting ahead of everyone and he grinned at her, feeling the cares of the past slipping away, and he winced as she slammed into him and buried her face in his chest. He tucked his broken arm closer to himself, wrapped his body around her as the rest of the villagers arrived and swarmed around, cheering, patting him on the back, but he didn't notice. All he cared about was the slim figure in his arms that made his heart thunder harder than it had all night, and he screwed his face into her hair.

'You had me worried sick.' Her voice was thick with emotion, but when she broke away slightly and smiled at him her face was calm.

'You shouldn't have worried. I promised I'd come back, and-'

'I know.' She couldn't help grinning at him, and had to raise her voice to be heard over the people that swarmed around them. The sun was rising, colour and noise raged around them, and it was, finally, over.

'You always keep your promises.'


End file.
